They day of the Wutai operation dawned early.
The mission in itself ran smoothly.
Everything proceeded as planned.
It was Cloud´s and Lightning´s task to infiltrate some important Wutai military facility. To place a bomb there and make it back out alive, while the others where somewhere outside causing a diversion.
Cloud was even doing a good job for once, cross-dressing as a cleaning lady, part of their camouflage.
Maybe too good a job, Lightning thought.
She couldn´t help but notice how disturbingly good the flower patterned summer dress looked on him as it hugged his lanky frame.
Much better than it did on her in fact.
Maybe Cloud did have 'talents' after all.
Having to sneak out of wutai territory via designated safety detour, the two of them made it back to base camp later than everybody else.
There weren't lots of people around but they knew locating the others wouldn't exactly be very hard. The camp was nothing more than a couple of small huts set up as a village, a small wutai settlement, brought under the control of Shin-Ra forces some weeks ago and a few set up tents and supply trucks. There weren't exactly lots of places to go.
Entering the SOLDIER supply tent they were furtunate enough to find it empty, granting them the opportunity to dress back into their third class uniforms without anybody witnessing their fancy camouflage.
And it was a good thing too. Claire Farron would rather have died than letting the others see her in a summer dress. Especially Sephiroth. Not now that they had finally accepted her as one of them.
And Cloud...
Well...
She wasn´t so sure about Cloud.
Once back in their usual attire, it was in search for their comrades that they entered the local inn.
Entering the dingy lit room, they found them seated around a table that was already bending under the weight of an assortment of food and drinks in a faraway corner of the crowded place.
'Over here guys!' Zack Fair greeted them via raising an almost empty tankard of beer, eagerly waving them over and spilling the remains in the process.
Their comrades had appearantly been there for quiet some time already.
Zack was getting tipsy and Genesis had started to quote from Loveless, his speech already slurred.
'There is no hate, only joy, for you are beloooved by the goddesssss...'
'Come now, come now!' Zack urged, vigorously gesturing for them to take their seats.
'Hero of dawn, healer of woooorlds...'
'Never mind him! He's halfway through Act II already.' the puppy added at his comrades' curious glances.
Careful not to knock over any drinks or dishes, Claire Farron squeezed herself into the seat next to Angeal Hewley who appeared to be in the middle of the attempt of eating a whole roasted pig all by himself.
It was a feat she could definitely picture him accomlishing.
'Potaoes?' the burly first class offered between bites of pork.
'No... No thanks.' Claire Faron declined civilly as looking around the table she found there wasn't only roast pig, no, Zack's trainer seemed to have ordered everything the local kitchens had to offer.
There were not only side dishes in abundance, roast potatoes, salads and bread, there was gravy and sauces and herb butter and a huge bottle of mead to wash it all down with.
'DRINKS FOR EVERYONE!' Zack announced, setting his tankard down on the table so hard the material of the handle cracked.
'Oooops...'
Leaning back in her uncomfortable wooden chair to take in the full scope of the situation, Claire Farron couldn't shake off the feeling that this was her comrades' usual procedure celebrating a successful mission and she felt an amused grin fighting it's way onto her usually controlled features.
Coming from such an important mission she was in no mood to stuff herself, couldn't have gotten much down if she had wanted to. Her body still a little shaky with the aftereffects of adrenaline, she couldn't help but marvel at the ease, the exuberance of the scene, couldn't help but feel affection for her fellow soldiers celebrating a successful bombing in the middle of a warzone.
It was surreal.
Despite the undesireable circumstances, suddenly the tiny wutai camp felt welcoming. Felt like home.
Still something was missing.
Letting her eyes roam the packed room, Lightning realized she couldn't see Sephiroth anywhere.
She thought she might have caught a glimpse of silver among the crowd upon walking over to the table, but suddenly she wasn´t sure.
She was interrupted by the waitress coming over from the bar to take their orders.
'My friend, your desire is the bringer of life, the gift of the godess...'
Zack instantly asked for another tankard of beer and Cloud immediately followed his example. Claire Farron only opted for a glass of water, earning bewildered stares from all around the table.
The pink haired third class didn't mind.
No way was she going to lose it in front of these.
No.
She would never hear the end of it.
And there was something else.
They weren´t home yet.
Festive the mood might be, they were still in enemy territory, they were still in the middle of a warzone and she wouldn't sit back and relax until she knew her ass back in Midgar, savely lounging in the fauteuils of the Shin-Ra HQ commons.
There was this alertness. This uneasiness. A weird restlessness that held her heart in a tight grip, made it impossible for her to drop her guard and just relax.
A nasty feeling of foreboding.
As if this wasn´t over yet.
The pink haired third class, she tried to brush off the feeling as just the aftermath of the adrenaline released in the mission, tried to relax, tried hard not to erupt in laughter as she watched almighty Genesis Rhapsodos slowly slipping from his chair.
She could have sworn she'd made out the words from Loveless Act IV '... and your eternal slumber...' before the red haired first class hit the ground, unconscious.
Cloud Strife got up immediately to check wether his mentor was okay and was about to heave him back into his chair but Angeal Hewley, mouth stuffed with food, stopped him almost instantly.
'Better leave him where he is boy, or he might wake up and start citing that damn poem again!' he roared, spraying pork everywhere.
General Sephiroth Crescent only watched from his safe place at the bar as his comrade Genesis, in his fake theatric, alcohol tinged voice, began to perform Loveless again.
The silver haired first class leaning against the counter, he felt his desire to join the others dissolve into nothingness. He had heard enough of that bullshit to last him at least a hundred lifetimes.
Suddenly the door opened and he found himself relieved to find that Lightning and Cloud had made it back unscathed.
A silent observer, the general only stood there as the two of them made past him and towards the table where Angeal was stuffing himself again with all the foot the village had to spare.
Wait was that makeup on Cloud's eyelids?
The decorated war hero mentally face palmed himself.
Things were getting ridiculous.
SOLDIER was going to the dogs.
At least the two of them had made it out of there alive.
Well... Sephiroth didn´t exactly care about Cloud. And he wasn´t surprised either as the poor excuse for a soldier ordered an absurdly big glass of beer. He couldn't help but admire Lightning´s choice though as she only went for water.
Maybe the two of them really weren´t so different after all, the silver haired first class thought as he downed his cup of cold mint tea.
The decorated legend continued to watch until his crimson haired comrade fell from his chair as he usually would after a few pints of apple cider, didn't raise a brow as his friend passed out on the mouldy trotten earth that made the floor of this yet another rathole. And he thanked the gods for it too because that way the redhead was going to shut up for at least the next few minutes.
Watching the scene for a few moments longer, witnessing his friend Angeal sprinkling the others with food from his mouth, General Sephiroth Crescent took it as a cue to leave.
Yes. He had definitely seen enough.
Making sure to leave some Gil for his tea and then some extra next to the tiny cup there on the counter the silver haired first class swiftly turned around and made towards the door.
There was still work to be done.
His hand had almost reached the doorknob when suddenly he turned to let his eyes skim the packed room once more.
There she was again. Claire Farron, soldier third class extraordinaire. Sitting in her seat surrounded by her feasting comrades and staring straight at him as if she'd sensed his gaze, or worse, had been watching him.
It was for a tiny second that their gazes locked.
Icy blue on mako green.
For a short moment the tall man pondered.
No.
He would go alone.
Not wasting a moment longer General Sephiroth Crescent stepped out into the warm evening breeze of the wutai summer air and set out to investigate the vicinity.
Something about that place was off.
And it was his duty to find out what.
In their far away corner of the inn's main chamber, Claire Farron wondered what her sensei Sephiroth was up to. She had finally glimpsed him at the bar, their eyes locking for a tiny second, but when she´d checked again a minute later he was gone.
Genesis Rhapsodos' slumber wasn't that eternal after all and it was upon getting back on his feet that his main objective seemed to have become getting his comrades so drunk that they would follow his example of reciting Loveless again.
There seemed to be a rather dubious arrangement with the barmaid that included the girl refilling their glasses as soon as they left their owner's lips and Angeal Hewley, finally having finished the last crumps of his humble meal promplty ordered desert.
It was becoming harder and harder for Lightning to keep a clear head.
Her comrades' good mood was contagious, the athmosphere soothing. The lights were dim, the air was stuffy and the thik sedating fumes of cigarettes, alcohol and food did nothing to kindle her alterness.
Still. She couldn't shake off that strange feeling of uneasiness, couldn't help but restlessly shuffle her feet, couldn't help feeling on edge.
The others getting more and more drunk by the second, Cloud's blood alcohol levels nearing escalation with alarming speed, whatever Claire Farron had imagined about being on top priority missions, it definitely had had nothing to do with that.
The others desperately trying to get their friend to join them in their jolly partying, no matter what they did, the pink haired female couldn't brush off the feeling that something was wrong, that they were being led into a false sense of security.
One didn't just put down their guard like that in enemy territory.
No. She wasn't one to be mislead that easily.
Constant vigilance.
She'd had the best of teachers after all.
And there was something else.
One didn't simply ignore their gut instincts. Not when they screamed danger like that all over.
'I'm back in a minute guys. Bathroom.' Claire Farron excused herself as quickly she got to her feet and gingerly squeezed past Angeal's seat.
The latter sat hunched over his desert and the others were so immersed into their drinking games that Lightning wasn't sure they'd even noticed.
Passing the bar and the hallway that led to the toilets, the pink haired third class turned towards the entrance door instead.
The others wouldn't miss her. That much was for sure.
Exiting the bar, relieved to finally drag a breath of fresh clean air, Claire Farron found nothing that seemed to be out of the ordinary.
The small cobbled streets were completedly empty. There was noone else around. The whole of the local Shin-Ra task force seemed to have gathered in that tiny inn. Everyone but her. And maybe Sephiroth. Only Etro knew what he was up to.
She had seen him exit some time ago now after all.
Well. He definitely was not around. She couldn't see a trace of him.
Off minding his own busines as usual, Claire Farron thought. Never had the silver haired first class invited her to come along on any of his ventures, as Angeal Hewley did with Zack occassionally.
Well. She didn't really mind exactly. Spending time with him was not exactly fun.
Lightning had almost turned to go back inside when suddenly she heard muffled voices coming from behind the building.
Careful not to make a sound at all, the pink haired woman stealthily made her way to the corner of the cot, where she could overhear two male voices talking:
'Are you sure?' the first voice asked.
It was the voice of an adult man. In his best years maybe.
'Yes. I just checked with the waitress. They´re all in there – drunk.' The second answered gleefully.
He sounded only a boy and he was stifling a giggle.
'Good, good. Now go and do as you were told. Find our secret hideout and tell the others. The hour of our victory approaches. I will take care of the beasts. Now leave...' the older man instructed.
'Good boy.'
There was the sound of hurried foodsteps fading into the distance.
'This village belongs to Wutai! Shin-Ra will not know what hit them once we´re done with them!'
The young third class listening in shock, hiding away behind her corner Claire Farron pondered her options fast.
There were wutai forces. Obviously. Gathering not far from here.
And they were planning to attack. Attack her and her comrades. While they all sat unsuspectingly drinking at their tables. Not a care in the world.
Lightning felt a powerful urge to go back inside and tell the others.
They weren't in their best of shape for a fight. That might be true. Still. She knew it was the right thing to do.
But then again...
Why waste time explaining stuff inside to a bunch of drunken idiots when she was already out here, ready to make herself useful?
Why run back inside to mommy and daddy when she could just as easily take things into her own hands?
Yes. She could track down that little bastard. From the shadow of the bushes she could follow him. Trail him. She could find out the whereabouts of the mentioned hideout where the wutai forces lay gathered. She could call for reinforcements then. They could attack the wutai out of the blue, erasing them with just a single strike and they wouldn't know what hit them!
She couldn´t just let that opportunity slip, could she? This perfect opportunity. This wasn't just an opportunity to strike at the wutai forces. This was an opportunity for her to prove herself. To prove that she was worthy. As a member of SOLDIER.
Pride and honor. Honor and pride.
Yes. This was her golden opportunity. No way was she going to let it slip.
The pink haired female barely dared to breathe as carefully she made her way around the corner of the building and through the adjoining thickets as silently as humanly possible.
It took her quite some time to track the small boy down.
Clad in only his wutai tunic, with his feet bare on the trodden ground, the canny youth didn't exactly leave a lot of tracks.
Changing his direction every thirty seconds or so, constantly checking over his tiny shoulder, following him proved a lot more difficult than Lightning would have figured.
The child was clever. This and the fact that having grown up there in those forests he knew the territory so much better than Lightning did made trailing him almost impossible.
Compared to his tiny bare feet, Lightnings combat boots proved chunky, clumsy, awkward. As did her body. Suddenly she felt big, giant, loud. Squeezing herself past branches and bushes, avoiding dry leaves and roots, trying hard not to make a sound she felt like a tank trying to sneak into an anthill.
How was it that he could move so quickly, move so easily among the bushes?
Keeping her involuntary safety distance to her target in front, Lighting suddenly realized that she had never been trained for a mission like this. Combat, yes. But no tracking. No. She wasn't made for sneaky stealth missions. And maybe her equipment wasn't either.
Either way, this was not the time to complain.
Keeping up as good as she could she followed the boy for what seemed hours.
Further and further away from the camp they went and deeper and deeper into the heart of the wutai forest.
The trees were growing taller and taller and the cursed bushes stood closer and closer together, blocking the already fading sunlight. Tracing her target became harder and harder still. She was relying on her instincts now more than on her barely existing tracking skills.
There was not much to go with. Some upturned stones on the ground. A bend twig here and there. A rustle of leaves somewhere up infront.
Not having found a trace of the boy for several minutes Lightning already feared she'd lost him alltogether when suddenly she bumped into something fleshy. Or maybe it had bumped into her.
'What do you think you are doing here?!'
The pink haired soldier recognized the voice of the man from behind the inn and she had only the slight forwarning of the sound of a knife being drawn from a sheath a moment before she felt the breeze of the blade being hurled at her brushing the skin of her rosy cheek.
It had missed it's target by a millimeter. Lightning was aware. And for the fraction of a tiny second she was unable to move. Unable to do anything at all. Shocked, like a deer caught in the headlights of a truck.
No. This wasn't training. This wasn't a brotherly spar with Zack. This was what Sephiroth had been trying to prepare her for. This was the real thing. This time her opponent was fighting to kill. This time she was fighting to survive.
Somehow Lightning wasn't ready.
She had thought she would be. But she wasn't. And it was a moment later that her opponent's boot hit her square in the the chest.
The inexperienced third class felt at least one of her rips breaking from the impact as brutally she found herself kicked to the ground.
The pain, like a knife stabbing at her ribcage, for a second or two it rendered the pink haired female unable to breathe, unable to think.
It was only the image of her attacker hurling himself at her from above that made her recover from her stupor.
Suddenly her chest wasn't hurting anymore. Suddenly her worried thoughts were gone. Wiped off the map of her brain and replaced by the gaining blankness that was her instincts taking over.
All the hours in the training room with Sephiroth, all the spars with Zack and Cloud, all those missions in the Midgar slums. Suddenly her brain forgot them. It was her body that remembered.
She didn´t know how she´d had the time to do it, didn't know what made her do it or how she had actually done it in the first place, but before she even knew it, Claire Farron had her standard SOLDIER sword out and ready, found it burried deep inside the bowels of her enemy, the weight of his body crushing down on top of her's.
For a few minutes the pink haired female lay there panting heavily. The pain in her ribcage temporarily forgotten, the man on top her limp now, lifeless, for a few minutes Claire Farron didn't dare to move.
She had just killed someone.
Killed a human being.
Just like that...
The third class´s heart racing like crazy, it was as if in a daze that she rid herself from her opponent's carcass.
There was no time to think about this now.
Trying to get herself back on track the pink haired third class found the little boy she had been chasing gone.
She couldn´t find a trace of him.
Nothing at all.
Great. Good work Claire Farron.
She had lost the kid. She had gotten herself injured, had almost gotten herself killed. And on top of it she had gotten herself lost too. Lost in enemy territory.
It was a nightmare.
Stumbling around blindly, it was relying on her instincts again that she followed a path west that led her back towards a clearing in the trees.
She knew it would be best to return back to camp asap.
She should have done that ages ago.
But she had no idea where she was. No idea where to go.
She had to be miles away from basecamp by now.
That much at least she knew.
There was nothing for her to do but push forward.
That path would end up somewhere eventually.
Another fifteen minutes passed before she encountered wutai forces again.
And she was promptly attacked.
In the end she managed to take them out. Managed to escape. But only slightly so.
Having received a few deep cuts on her arms in the process, her legs slightly wobbly from all the walking she had done already, Lightning realized she was starting to get exhausted.
Her aching ribcage, it did nothing to help that fact.
Catching her breath became an increasingly painful business and moving her upper body at all was turning into something from a torture manual.
Nervous over the mission, stupid as she was, she hadn't eaten anything since breakfast and she hadn't thought to bring any water either. Something she regretted now. And badly so.
The riot her last fight had caused must have alerted other people too, she was aware, and not loosing any time she just got up and ran for it.
She needed to get away from there, out of the woods, and back to the basecamp if she wanted to make it out of this alive. If she wanted any of them to make it out alive that was.
She wasn't sure how many more battles her battered state would allow.
Rather less than more. That much was for sure.
Oh, why hadn't she simply alerted Genesis and Angeal?!
Racing through the thicket of the nearby bushes as fast as was still possible, the pink haired woman was confronted with a number of other opposing forces, before finally she found herself hiding away in some thickets with her back against a wall. Blood oozing from a deep gash in her upper arm was making it's way into her glove and engulfed her sword hand in a sickly soothing warmth.
There were several superficial wounds decorating her face and forearms and her ribcage was throbbing like crazy by then, making it almost impossible for her to draw a propper breath.
Yes. She was beginning to regret her decision.
Regret it badly.
She´d gotten herself lost.
Lost and injured. And exhausted.
In enemy territory.
She'd almost gotten herself killed.
On her very first important mission.
And what was worse, she had endangered her comrades. The whole fucking operation.
How could she have been so stupid?!
Zack, Cloud, Angeal, Genesis... All the others. They were unsunspectingly sitting around a table at the camp. Drunk. Partying. Waiting to be slaughtered.
She was the only one who knew.
The only one who could save them.
And she was hiding behind some wall. Scared. Lost. Desperate. Bleeding.
For what had to be at least the hundreth time that evening she took out her phone.
No signal.
Just like the 99 times she'd tried before.
What was she to do?
She had to warn the others. But how was she supposed to pull it off?
She didn´t know where she was, in which direction lay camp or what to do next.
All she knew was that the streets around her were full of opposing troops and that they were planning an attack on the Shin-Ra base camp.
That gash in her arm bleeding rather profoundly, it was with shaky hands that the pink haired female unbuckled her belt to wrap it tightly around her upper arm in an attempt to make the bleeding stop.
Sagging down to her heels, with the stone wall pressing against her back, her body hidden by some bushes, Lightning decided to pause for a few minutes, one of her hands pressing against the sharp pain in her chest while the other was clutching her longsword so tightly the knuckles of her good hand had turned white.
The effects of the adrenaline that had been cursing through her veins a few hours ago had long run out and she felt ready to collapse, to curl up into a tight ball on the ground and die.
But of course that was not an option.
She was in SOLDIER after all. And her comrades, they relied on her.
Their lives depended on her.
They had no idea a pack of wutai troopers was going to attack them any second.
She had to act.
Taking a few better not too deep calming breaths, trying hard to focus, to figure out what to do next, the pink haired third class knew she needed to find a way back to the Inn, a way to get back to the others. Or at least to somewhere she could use her phone. In their current state her comrades probably hadn´t even noticed that she was gone.
Yes. She needed to retrack her path and warn them, like she should have done from the beginning.
Crawling up to her hiding place a few minutes ago she had seen a cobbled street carving it's way throught the trees.
Surely this street had to lead back to the village. Where else would it go?
If only she managed to follow it back to the camp...
Yes. She could leave this place, cross the street and follow it from the safety of some nearby bushes again.
She definitedly needed to keep a low profile now. She wasn't sure she would survive another battle. And that wound on her arm...
If only she knew in which direction she had to go.
Heaving her body back to her whobbly feet was not an easy endeavour.
The pink haired third class couldn't remember ever feeling this exhausted before. Not even in basic training. She in fact hadn't felt this bad ever since her mako injection.
Knew she'd found her limits. Had exeeded them.
In the end she managed to get up anyway.
Taking a few staggering steps forwards she carefully looked around.
From the direction the fading sunlight was caressing her ashen cheeks the camp had to lie somewhere south of her.
Easy now.
Okay.
She knew where to go.
Inching forward she followed the wall, etching closer to the street.
She was almost there. Had almost left the safety of the densily growing bushes. A few more careful steps and -
Lightning froze.
Peeking from behind the last layer of branches she found the street infront her blocked.
Only a few thin leaves camouflaging her from a quickly and definitely very painful death, Lightning found the streets patrolled by enemies.
And those, she knew, she couldn´t take down on her own.
There were three armed men with a huge Behemoth trailing on a leash behind them.
Yes. They had brought a Behemoth.
A Behemoth!
For a moment Lightning´s burning lungs forgot how to breathe alltogether.
Oh, she was screwed.
THEY were screwed!
'I will take care of the beasts.' the man behind the bar had said. And now she knew exactly what he'd meant.
'Beasts.'
Plural.
Surely that meant there were more of them?!
Panic was taking over Claire Farron´s senses upon spying on the monstrous creature that was flattening the ground only feet away from her. Her heart raced crazily as adrenaline was kicking in again.
Could the Behemoth sense her? Smell her? Hear her breathe?
Lightning wasn't sure.
They were screwed either way.
The wutai were going to erase them just like that.
The man had been right.
Shin-Ra wouldn´t know what hit them...
The sound of a twig being crushed beneath a pair of heavy boots somewhere in close proximity brought Claire Farron back to the present.
Her breathing hitched and it were her reflexes taking over again as in utmost panic her instincts tried to protect her against whatever evil had managed to sneak up on her behind the thicket of those bushes.
She was about to turn around in a desperate last moment attempt at defending herself when suddenly something heavy crashed into her, shoving her sideways, and a moment later she found herself brutally pinned to the wall.
The impact knocking the last bit of air out of her stabbing ribcage, the weight of her attacker pressing her flat against the hard rough stone, tired and injured, the pink haired warrior found herself unable to defend herself, unable to do anything really.
Her arm being twisted awkwardly by her attacker's vicelike grip, Claire Farron's weakened hand opened in defeat and her standard SOLDIER longsword slipped to the ground with a gentle thud.
Her body locked in place by her attackers thorso, rendering her unable to move, a leather gloved hand lowered over her mouth to stifle her desperate cry and suddenly she found herself face to face with Sephiroth.
For the first time in her life Lightning felt relieved to see him.
For the first time in her life she was glad he was so much stronger than her. And so much faster.
For the first time she was happy to let him take control. Let him take over.
Surely he'd know what to do. Surely he would sort things out. Would make everything alright.
She had no idea how. But he was Sephiroth, right? The Sephiroth. Legendary hero of the wutai war.
And there was nothing Sephiroth couldn't handle.
Surely he would find a way to set things right. Wouldn't he?!
He would.
With her sensei there Lightning suddenly felt herself relax, felt safe. The throbbing pain in her chest and the bleeding gash in her arm suddenly seemed far away. As did her exhaustion.
A minute or two Lightning could only stare into his cold calculating killer eyes.
The silver haired legend, he was close to her, was basically on top of her, crushing her between the weight of his body and the wall.
Never had anyone been so close to her. Well, definitely not a man.
Lightning could feel his breath on her face, could feel the rising and falling of his ribcage against her's, could feel his heartbeat, steady in his chest. At ease. Relaxed. Not racing, desperate as her's. Somehow the silver haired first class never broke a sweat.
Their gazes locking for a few long moments, mako eyes on icy blue, Lightning found herself drawning in those deadly pools of green, loosing herself in that cold killer stare of his.
Please just take over.
Slowly the man in front of her let go.
He didn't step away from her though. Not really.
Granting her an inch of air between them for her to catch her breath, putting a finger to his lips, the silver haired first class signalled his apprentice to stay quiet.
His presence strangely calming her, Claire Farron had her eyes trained on his back as finally he turned and sneaked up to the treeline to watch the enemy and ponder their doubtless lousy options.
For some reason his heavy combat boots seemed to make no sound at all.
He was a shadow. A ghost.
Even before, Lightning had only sensed him at the very last moment, and that despite her mako enhanced senses too.
How the fuck was he doing it?!
Next to him Lightning felt clumsy and bold.
After some time of quiet observance, the silver haired General turned back to face his apprentice and bent down to whisper into her ear.
'You fought bravely in those bushes.'
Claire Farron's pinkish eyebrows shot up in surprise.
She had expected a scolding. Punishment maybe.
She had sneaked away from camp, had endangered the whole mission, had ignored her orders...
But this?!
She couldn't remember him praising her like this before.
Wait.
Had he been spying on her?!
Had he been there watching all that time?!
Wait...
What...
She was about to open her mouth in protest when her sensei spoke again, his breath tickling her ear.
'I will take down the two guys to the right and the beast. That leaves you with just the one guy to the left between you and your way back to the Inn.' he instructed.
'Go back and alert the others. Do not wait for me.'
His voice was calm and businesslike. As though they were back in the safety of the third class training room, discussing tactics from somewhere far away.
He didn´t seem intimidated by the Behemoth in the slightest.
If he had any doubts about his plan he definitely didn´t let them show.
Claire Farron looked up to meet her sensei's gaze once more, her eyes full of worry, full of insecurity and also possibly fear.
That plan was insane.
He wasn´t seriously planning to take on the giant beast alone, was he?!
He was...
'Trust me.' the first class whispered as he signalled her to go, turning away to face his opponents like he had promised he would.
For a second the pink haired female stood there, rooted to the spot, her mind still trying to wrap her head around the fact that he was going to face the Behemoth all by himself.
Then she remembered what he'd said.
What she'd been told to do.
And then she ran.
Doing exactly what her sensei had asked from her she charged at the guy blocking their way back to camp.
Exhausted and injured and weak she might have been. She was still a mako enhanced Shin-Ra opperative, her opponent merely man.
The wutai's body hit the ground within moments.
Pulling her blade back from her opponent's insides, Lightning turned back just in time to witness the First Class legend cut down both wutai fighters at once to then charge at the Behemoth.
No!
Watching helplessly from her fifty feet away, Claire Farron felt her body freeze, felt her breath hitch in her aching chest.
The gigantic beast rearing up before him, ready to pounce and crush him underneath it's giant feet, it was with a single blow of the General's precious Masamune that the creature was decapitated.
The pink haired third class couldn´t believe her eyes as pausing in her actions she watched just a second longer in order to see her silver haired sensei jump to the side to dodge the animal´s dead body´s weight now threatening to collapse on top of him.
General Sephiroth Crescent not looking stressed out in the slightest, he rid his Masamune of the beast´s body fluids with just a fluid swift motion of his left arm.
It was the most amazing thing Lightning had ever seen. And she couldn't help but feel awe. Awe for that man who had become her sensei.
Sometimes she couldn´t shake off the feeling that Sephiroth´s powers were beyond human. Mako enhanced or not.
They really were.
And she shuddered at the thought of what those Shin-Ra people had to have done to him in order for him to turn out like that.
Shuddered at the thought of what he had to have gone through.
Somehow she wasn´t even sure she wanted to find out.
When she woke up the next day back savely on her third class cot Lightning found a message in the inbox of her company phone.
'Please meet me in my bureau. 11 o´clock. - Director Lazard.' it said.
Apparently, the director wanted to talk to her.
It had to be about some important upcoming mission, Lightning figured, as slowly she made her way over to the bathroom.
Coming to stand in front of the sink she made to inspect her body in the mirror again.
She looked a little battered, but not too bad, she thought.
Thanks to Angeal Hewley´s healing spells the gash in her arm had healed almost completely and a big purple bruise on her chest was all there was left to tell the story of her broken ribs, three, as the first class had informed her.
Stepping into the soothing current of the shower Claire Farron let her memories of the previous day's events play before her inner eye once more.
How after watching Sephiroth beheading the massive Behemoth she had raced back to the inn to alert the others.
How Angeal had shot up from his seat, unintentionally turning over the table and sending the remainders of his dinner flying everywhere, awakening Genesis from yet another of his eternal slumbers in the process.
How they had called headquarters for reinforcements.
How they had had only five minutes to gather their stuff and make it to one of the helicopters before the Shin-Ra cavalry turned the whole place into hell on earth. The village and surrounding woods erupting in flames as they cleared out.
All in all it had been a close call. Lightning was aware.
She had misjudged the situation. Badly so.
Had endangered all her comrades in the process. The whole operation. The whole wutai war, maybe.
And without Sephiroth there, she knew she would have been done for. They would have been done fore.
There was no denying it.
Still. He had praised her there in the thicket of those bushes.
'You fought bravely.' he had said.
Lightning couldn't stop replaying the memory of this moment in her head.
The way his voice had sounded. Proud. Approving. The way he had looked at her. That cold green gaze. Assuring. The way his breath had tickled her ear, the skin of her neck, her cheek...
Being on time as she usually was, a few hours later Claire Farron rode the elevator up to Director Lazard's bureau. Following the endless corridors approaching the office it was infront of the door slightly left ajar hat the pink haired third class stopped in her tracks.
There were voices coming from the room. Very familiar voices. And they didn't sound relaxed, at ease.
'So what?! She sneaked away from camp all by herself?! Took on the wutai forces on her own?!' Director Lazards voice sounded agitated, furious.
Outside in the hallway, Claire Farron held her breath.
Where they talking about her?!
They had to be.
She was the only female in SOLDIER after all.
This did not sound good though. Not good at all.
She'd thought she'd been called to Lazard's office for a briefing. But this... Never before had it occured to her that he'd wanted a report on that mission, that he or anyone else at Shin-Ra could have found out how badly she'd screwed up.
Had Sephiroth sold her out?
He'd seemed so full of aproval the day before...
'Yeah well... She was with us at the table back at camp... I do remember that much.' Genesis Rhapsodos' voice came from behind the door.
'This is inacceptable! We cannot tolerate this kind of behaviour. And especially not from a – from a third class!' Director Lazard went on, his voice like venom.
Lightning knew he'd wanted to say 'woman'.
She felt the blood in her veins run cold.
They were not going to expulse her, were they?!
'Farron could be a wutai spy for all we know! Surely a disciplinary hearing -' the director raged on.
'I told you before.' Lightning heard her sensei's voice unexpectedly coming to her defense. 'I took her with me when I left the Inn.'
Inching closer to the door, the pink haired third class risked a peek through the gap that had been left between the door and it's frame by whom ever had left it ajar.
There they were. All free of them. Genesis, Angeal and Sephiroth. The latter leaning against director Lazard's desk, while the others occupied the seats in front.
Genesis Rhapsodus emitted a ridiculed snort.
'Bullshit. When she arrived at our table you were already gone!' he claimed in protest.
Thanks Genesis.
Lightning swallowed bitterly.
Why was the redhead doing this?
Why did he despise her so?
What had she actually done to him?!
'No. I was at the bar.' Sephiroth corrected coolly.
Director Lazard gave an exhausted sigh. One of his hand reached up to briefly massage the bridge of his nose.
'First Class Hewley... What have you to say about this matter? You were there at the table too, weren't you?'
Lightning heard Angeal take in a startled breath.
'Yes. Yes, I was there.'
'And...?!' the director prompted.
'And what?'
'Did she sneak away or what?!'
'I... I don't quite remember.' Angeal evaded carefully. 'It was a busy evening you know... Lots of people in that inn and stuff.'
'Hewley. I need a statement on this.' the Director warned.
'Well... I do remember her saying she'd go to the toilet and -'
'Aha! So she pretended to go to the toilet and sneaked away instead! Informing the wutai about the situation probably -'
'No.' Sephiroth interrupted quickly. 'I've told you a hundred times now...'
'Ohhh where did you two meet up?!' Genesis voice piped up. 'At the toilets maybe? Now this warrants a disciplinary hearing for sure – improper behaviour with a subordinate-'
'Genesis!' Angeal reprimanded instantly.
Lazard looked livid.
The General stayed cool as always.
'As much as your phantasies amuse me, Rhapsosdos, I have to disappoint you.' He calmly stated his defense.
'I was at the bar, drinking tea. You could ask the barmaid if you wanted. I left her a tip to remember. Farron passed me on her way to the toilet and I told her to get ready to set out again.'
Director Lazard listened with repressed anger while Genesis Rhapsodos' cheeks turned to match the color of his hair.
'I figured something was wrong and even I can't have my eyes everywhere so I took her aside and ordered her to spy for me. For us, really. I cannot see the problem. It did save us a whole lot of trouble, didn't it?'
'Well, I can see lots of problems in fact. Where shall I begin?' Lazard Deusericus threw in.
'You're acting of your own accord again. Disobeying orders, ignoring rules. I know father's been lenient with you in the past for your services in the wutai war. But seriously, I think you are approaching the limits of my patience. Our patience really. And you do it fast.'
His voice had taken on a hostile quality.
General Sephiroth Cresecent gave a disbelieving snort.
'I don't know what you've been thinking! Sneaking away without telling anyone a thing. Taking Farron with you, I mean please. Why didn't you take Rhapsodus or Hewley. Zack Fair even. We have first class opperatives for that kind of thing. This whole story stinks and I know it. That girl sneaked away and now you're trying to save her hide. It's ridiculous.'
'Yeah well, you really should have asked me or Angeal. Warned us at least.' Genesis Rhapsodos' melodic voice challenged, but only halfheartedly so.
'We are your comrades!'
'Well yes. They are the ones you should have turned to, not some half trained third class.' the director agreeed.
'Well... They were... Indisposed. Were they not?' Sephiroth murmurmed so low Lazard couldn't possibly have heard.
The glare he threw his crimson haired comrade was deadly though.
'Anyway. We've had enough of your unauthorized actions. Shin-Ra will not look upon this leniently this time.' came Director Lazard's verdict.
Genesis Rhapsodos was eager to agree.
The silver haired legend only gave an amused snort.
'Without my unauthorized actions you'd be dead men. Not to mention the infantry.'
His killer gaze cut through the air of the room like a knife.
'Sephiroth, maybe he is right, you know. What about Farron?! Taking her with you like that? You could've gotten her killed! What about Zack and Cloud?' Angeal threw in, not too unkindly though.
'What about them?' Sephiroth asked acidly.
'We have responsibility now. What are the kids supposed to learn from you? Antiauthoritary behaviour maybe?'
'What are you gonna teach them Angeal?' Sephiroth contered instantly.
'I'm sure Fair and Strife learned loads on this mission. Like the art of eating a whole pig all by themselves. Or drinking a whole barrel of booze until emberassing themselves and passing out under the table?'
His cold green killer eyes darting over to Genesis at the last part, the redhead quickly shrunk back into the backrest of his spare office chair and suddenly became absorbed into the study of his immaculately manicured fingers.
'Enough!' Director Lazard's voice rang out. 'I'll deal with the lot of you later. Now, Miss Farron, if you would please enter...'
Feeling slightly emberassed, Lightning slowly opened the door to enter, finding not only the director's but also the three first class instuctors staring at her.
They had not sensed her presence, Lightning realized, hadn't realized she'd been standing there, listening all the while. Even Sephiorth hadn't.
None of them looked pleased.
Director Lazard recovered first.
'Well... Congratulations Miss Farron.' He said by a way of greeting.
'Who would have thought you'd make it this far.'
Lightning saw General Sephiroth Crescent arche a silver brow.
The pink haired female not understanding what was going on, not knowing what to respond, what to think really, it was out of habit that she turned to look at her sensei for instructions, icy blue eyes asking for an explanation.
'You did a good job in Wutai, keeping a clear head like that.' Sephiroth said, the irritated tone from before gone, his voice suddenly sounded neutral, even.
'I recommended you for second.' the decorated war hero clarified in his calm tone.
Claire Farron could not believe her ears. Was not sure she'd heard correctly.
They'd been talking about disciplinary hearings, about her expulsion from SOLDIER maybe, had accused her of being a wutai spy. And now this?!
'I acknowledge that taking you with me like that during our mission was careless. I endangered your life and the whole operation, and I take full responsibility. Maybe it was a bit risky. ' his brows arching at her meaningfully, as if daring her to contradict his lie, the lie that was saving her ass by the way, Lightning felt too amazed to say anything at all.
Genral Sephiroth Crescent was lying for her.
Why was he lying for her?!
'But still. You handled it well.'
Claire Farron processed his words in astonishment.
Her eyes darting over to the director, then to her mentor, then back to Lazard again, she found she was completely lost for words.
'Well as I said – Congratulations.' the director reluctantly repeated himself.
'You may go down to the tailor´s in order to get your second class uniform fitted. You will also be assigned more minor tasks in top priority missions now.'
For another few seconds Claire Farron only stared.
'You may leave.'
The freshly baken second class, she could hardly believe she'd heard correctly.
She had screwed up. Screwed up big style. Had almost gotten them all killed. And now she was receiving a promotion?
They had to be kidding her...
Feeling startled, but infinitely grateful just the same, Claire Farron quickly saluted and took her leave back through the office´s door.
She was half way down the corridor when she felt her sensei´s presence behind her.
It instantly made her stop and turn to face him.
'Meet me in my office when you´re done.' he instructed without further explanation.
Lightning swallowed hard.
This had to be it then.
Her punishment.
She felt the happy balloon that had been swelling in her belly at receiving the news of being promoted to second class deflate.
Of course there had to be consequences.
Not only had she disobeyed all orders and endangered everything. She had also gotten Sephiroth in trouble. And now he'd lied for her too. Had taken responsibility. She owed him now. And she didn't like it. Didn' t like it one bit.
Was he going to reprimand her in private now, saving her the shame of letting all the others including director Lazard find out? Was he going to beat her up again? Or worse?
Then why had he recommended her for second?
It so wasn't like him.
Suddenly impatient to leave, the pink haired girl just nodded and quickly made her way to the elevators and down to the tailor to proudly collect her new uniform.
It quickly wiped her appointment with Sephiroth from her mind again.
For better or worse, he couldn't take her promotion to second class away anymore, or could he? Why would he? He had recommended her in the first place.
So what.
He might beat her up again.
It didn't matter.
She'd survived lots of his beatings in the past. Surely she would survive another.
What was a beating to begin with? She deserved worse for what she'd done.
Still.
She was second class now.
Oh, she couldn't wait to show the others. Couldn't wait to tell Serah.
Yes. She would write to Serah first.
Taking the elevator exit on the SOLDIER floor, Lightning hurriedly made it to her room.
Once there, she instantly fetched a piece of paper, intent on sharing the news with Serah asap.
'Dear Serah. I have great news. Just a few minutes ago I got promoted to second class! Can you believe it?', she wrote, then hesitated, the tip of her pen resting at the beginning of the next line.
Weeks would pass before Serah would actually read that letter.
Suddenly Lightning felt a pang of guilt and sadness in her chest.
How long had it been since she´d last seen her sister?
It had to be more than half a year now.
Not even once had Serah written back.
It was like writing to a ghost. A dead person.
Sure. Serah must have had her own stuff to deal with. Her own issues. Or maybe she was just too busy with homework or having fun with her friends.
Maybe...
Or maybe it was something else.
Somewhere deep inside Lightning knew Serah's silence had nothing to do with homework.
No.
She had left Serah behind.
She was aware.
Her only family.
Had left her at a bording school.
Had abandoned her.
But really. What else could she have done?
She could hardly have taken her with her to live at Shin-Ra HQ, could she? It had been hard enough for her to get a place herself. And besides. Midgar was no place for Serah.
Lightning wasn't sure it was the place for anyone.
No. It was far better for Serah to grow up somewhere whole, somewhere safe. Somewhere where she could breathe in clean fresh air, somewhere with trees and fish and the sea.
Somewhere without mako reactors.
Somewhere without slums, and monsters, and war.
Someplace like home.
'I will be receiving better payment now and I´m also to go on more important missions.' Lightning continued.
'I hope you are well. Take care of yourself. -Claire'
She finished the remainder of the letter fast.
She didn´t bother to tell Serah about her previous mission to Wutai. Or how she had fucked up.
There was no need to make her worry.
With posting the letter and changing into her new uniform, it was already late in the afternoon when finally the freshly baken second class made it to General Sephiroth Crescent´s office.
It wasn't until she found herself infront of his door that it occured to her that she had let him wait.
'Enter.' she heard his voice from the other side of the shiny aluminium before her knuckles had even met the cool surface to knock.
'You told me to stop by?' she greeted her superior somewhat impatiently.
The recently promoted second couldn´t wait to make her way down to the common room to present her new uniform to the others and see Cloud´s devastated look upon finding out about her unexpected rank upgrade.
She regretted her impolite behavior immediately.
Mako green eyes flashing at her in warning, a silver brow arched dangerously.
Taking in her sensei's slightly offended expression, Lightning found herself only a few feet from the tall lean man, now intimidatingly towering above her as he leaned against the front of his desk.
Definitely too close to risk making him angry.
'Forgive me, Sir!' She tried to make up for her disrespectful behavior, as quickly she raised her arm in salute.
'I... I apologize. The wutai mission... What I did... Director Lazard... I don't know how...'
Shaking his head in bemusement, the silver haired legend stepped aside to reveal a long rectangular parcel resting on the desk's surface.
The recently promoted second class, she instantly recognized it as a sword, wrapped in thick brown shipping paper.
None of it made sense.
'Now you´ve made second, I figured you'll need your own, personal weapon.' the general explained.
Her heart suddenly skipping a beat or maybe two, slowly, almost tentatively the pink haired woman turned to look at him.
No words could possibly express the amazement that Claire Farron felt upon being presented with such a respectful gift. And that, from the person she would have least expected it.
What the fuck had gotten into him?
'Don´t you want to open it?' the General invited, his voice sounding slightly amused as he took in his apprentice´s startled expression.
Using both her hands, slowly and very carefully, the pink haired second class reached over to free the object of it's simple wrappings, revealing the most beautifully-crafted gun blade she had ever laid eyes on.
Blaze Edge.
Picking it up into her hands, Claire Farron traced the sharp side of the blade with her soft bare index finger, let it wander the whole lenght of solid tightly folded steel.
She couldn´t help but marvel at the razorsharpness of the edge, the complexly manufactured mechanismn, the beautifully crafted hilt.
It wasn't until the tips of her fingers reached the gun part that her sensei's voice tore her from her state of admiration.
'It's a fine blade.'
Lightning looked up at her senei in astonishment.
She had almost forgotten he was there.
'I figured you might like it as it can shoot bullets too...' the man infront her said somewhat unexpectedly.
Claire Farron caught the left corner of his lips rising up into a half smile.
'In case you feel the urge to try and kill me again.'
