Disclaimer: Final Fantasy XIII is the property of Square Enix. No profit is being made from the circulation of this story.
Warnings: Spoilers for the game ending.

Someone Must Get Hurt

Chapter 2

Lightning tugged at the laces of her sneakers, twisting them into a double-knotted bow. Serah had bought them as a gift, but she only used them in her jogs around Cocoon. Boots were better suited for Gran Pulse. Snow had come home from work early and a run was the perfect solution to being caught off-guard. It wasn't that her life revolved around him—him and Serah, she reminded herself sternly. Her problem was that it spiraled crazily, in and out of jungles and cities, homes and businesses, friends and adversaries. She ran to escape the feelings of loss and sacrifice, of constant chaos.

She really had to start moving before she drove herself mad. With a glance at the window, Lightning pushed herself off of Serah's porch and fell into a familiar step and rhythm. She knew her feet would carry her to the beach where the sand would give her body a workout that she could feel, if she ran far enough.

Bodhom had been reshaped, like much of Cocoon, thanks to Fang and Vanille. Lightning felt a smile tug at her lips as their faces swam in her mind. She had respected the elder Gran Pulse native and come to see Vanille's hopeful attitude as endearing. It had been eight years, a while to come to terms with everything being a L'Cie had given and taken away. The beach no longer had the same curves, the sand snaking against the water in a new path. Lightning still thought they should have renamed Cocoon, but the appellation still remained the same. In truth, many people had chosen to stay nestled in its safety, despite the majesty that the newly accessible surface world held. It was a shame. Lightning had needed more to feel alive than a safe haven.

She understood why Serah wanted to leave Cocoon. Her sister had never been terribly adventurous, but she had never been afraid of exploring, especially following Lightning's lead. It made her smile again as she thought about it, her feet sinking into the soft, fine sand. Her heart was lighter in many ways. It craved Serah's company more openly and she obeyed it when it told her that she didn't have to protect her little sister, obeyed it when it tried to convince her to spend more time with Serah. Of course, she knew that included Snow as well, which her selfish heart appreciated. She dug her toes deeper into the sand and began to sprint, her arms pumping with the effort.

There had been a handful of chances over the years for her to act. Fortunately, her love for Serah had always won in the end. She didn't try to deny it anymore. She loved him desperately for being things she couldn't be. Lightning envied his optimism and sincerity. She could count the number of times she had felt real conviction strike her on her fingers and have a couple to spare, most of those times revolving around Serah. She really did hold on too tightly to the wrong things.

Running made her see so clearly. The thoughts flying through her head were like fireflies she could collect in a jar and contain, not sparks from a live wire that threatened to electrocute her.

The sun was sinking below the horizon, the sky stained orange to pink. The sea reflected the colors in its waves and ripples. Lightning always kept her eyes down on the water. It wasn't as expansive and unknown as the sky could be, despite its depth. She was almost ready to turn back, but not quite. She slowed to an easy pace once again and used a hand to brush her rose-colored hair out of her eyes. With care not to slip on the wet planks, she hopped onto a small dock and jogged out to the end, her feet still moving in place as she gazed out at the sea.

It was a long time ago, she thought to herself, the forest of Gran Pulse crashing around her memory. Blue eyes fluttered shut. The past is gone.

A cool breeze felt delightful on her warm cheeks. She couldn't be unhappy about the life she led. It was exciting, exactly what she always wanted. It was comfortable too, planned and under control. Sure, she took risks, but Lightning knew that if they didn't pay off, only she was to blame, not some destiny or Focus, some fal'Cie plan. Every footfall belonged to her. She couldn't complain to anyone, for she had designed every facet of her life to have an orderly semblance of direction. The thought brought back the comfort that had begun to slip away.

Lightning turned, her feet never stopping for a second, and jogged back off the dock, leaping onto the sand once again. All she knew of love was that it was too complicated a thing to let it rule her life, even in small increments. Her love for Serah had made her and her sister estranged in the past. She didn't quite blame herself anymore for Serah becoming a l'Cie and turning into a crystal. They had been used as puppets. She did blame herself for letting her fierce, protective nature build a wall around her, all for the excuse of loving her sister. No, love was not something Lightning wanted to succomb to. She didn't mind loving her sister, but it wouldn't make her go to the lengths she once had ever again, and it would never get out of control.

A smile surprised her as it spread across her lips. Happiness was so simple now. She could be happy, even while longing for something forbidden, even while her pay wasn't always certain, and even while being roped into shopping with Serah's friends. Saving the world had saved her life in turn.

With that in mind, Lightning picked up her pace and ran, not quite the mad sprint of earlier, but more than a jog.

Lightning had been expecting to find Serah waiting for her, but instead she found Snow. His hover bike was parked in the opened garage, the engine exposed and being dismantled. She readied herself, still feeling happy about her life, but wary. Perhaps it would be the same as always. He would say hi, go back to his work, ignore the tension.

Snow waved at her, his eyes still on the bike beside him. "Serah had to go tell her friend that her wedding wouldn't fall apart because they couldn't afford both a cake and a chocolate fountain."

"Oh," Lightning said. She nearly stopped and nearly ran inside at the same time, but she was caught in between, jogging in place. Being alone with Snow was certainly something she avoided. "It's getting dark. You'll ruin your eyes like this."

"I'm almost done," he said.

Lightning awkwardly continued her jogging while she considered why a cake wasn't enough. After a moment, she noticed Snow staring at her, his eyebrows raised. Blushing slightly and quickly turning away to hide it, she jogged up the steps into the house and slammed the door behind her.

It was silly to let it unsettle her after he soul-searching jog had grounded her so well. She told herself to remember it, but epiphanies never particularly meant much to her. She usually didn't hold onto them. It was just so foolish. How could she vacillate between so many different emotions so quickly?

She decided to shower, no real idea how long Serah would have to comfort her friend's misfortune. The guest room was white and sterile, not touched by the same fine hand that had decorated most of the house with rich wood grains and stoney marble. It was simple, and Lightning knew Serah kept it like that for her in hopes that she might make it her own. It was the closest thing Lightning had to home, her sister's house in Bodhom. She never stayed anywhere long enough on Gran Pulse to want to own anything. Her employers and friends she worked with disagreed with the idea, staking a claim their own land on the surface where no one could charge them an exorbitant price, building up their homes during vacations from hunting and trapping.

They were mostly men with wives and children, occasionally women with husbands, occasionally young people with nothing better to do. None of them were like quite like Lightning.

Her job was a much safer thing to think of as she threw her clothes on the floor and hopped in the shower. She was in charge of four people now, assigning them roles to play and teaching them different magics to catch rare monsters. Serah hated to hear about it, so Lightning didn't feel the need to tell her that most of the beasts were trapped for their fur and not to be sold as exotic pets. The northern regions of Gran Pulse paid high prices year round for pelts to keep the new settlers there warm enough. Lightning had gone once, and found that it was much too cold for her liking, even covered in a thick fur coat she had trapped the animal of herself.

It was surprising that Snow hadn't gone back into that line of work. Instead, a construction company had been more than willing to give him a job and, after a while, promote him through their ranks. It was so normal. Was he happy?

Lightning shook her head. How did she keep defeating herself? Was Serah's discontentment bringing out her old hope that maybe she would get what she wanted?

It was a horrible thought and she scrubbed at her hair with her fingernails, as if she could scratch it out of her brain. There was no excuse for it. She resolved not to tempt herself, for whatever reason she was once again feeling the desire to break her rules, it wasn't worth it. She wouldn't leave her room until Serah was back.

The shower was much too warm and she turned the handle for cold water quickly, sighing and blowing the water off her lips. She had started believing again in people after seeing how cruel the fal'Cie were. At the very least, she was amazed at the range of human optimism and ambition, the very things she had lacked eight years ago. The Sanctum fal'Cie had also lacked that, and she didn't want to be that type of monster. She wanted to be like Serah and Vanille and Snow, hopeful and driven, even if they were sometimes scared. Lightning had always wanted a simple life. She had thought that she led one as a soldier for the Guardian Corps, but she had made it stark and lifeless, beyond simple into empty.

She shut off the water and stepped out of the shower, wrapping herself in a large fluffy towel.

Serah's life was simple, a comfortable place to live, friends to visit, family to take care of, hopefully a growing one. It was no wonder that despite her happiness with her own life, she envied her sister. She couldn't let that destroy her.

Note: My laptop has a trojan, so I had to steal my husband's computer to type up what I've got so far, but ideally, since I'm so invested in this story, I'm trying to update weekly when I get my machine cleaned out. Thanks for the reviews and favorites thus far! Hope to get chapter three out after the weekend!