"I can assume that you have no need of combat training, right?"
Lightning nodded. Edmund was currently leading her through the streets of Eden, where many of the city lights had finally gone out. It was strange, being in the dark and yet still having quite a few people bustling about, probably either going to or coming from parties that had numerous alcoholic drinks involved. She didn't know who was training her, or even how she was being trained; all she knew was the he was leading her to a facility that would serve such purposes.
How they were going to cram her education into one week was beyond her. As she'd stated before, she was fairly certain that she wasn't cut out for business, and this had come up so suddenly; she'd be lucky if PSICOM didn't see her as a target immediately.
According to Adriana Schiffer, she was to be kept hidden until the announcement the following week, in which she would induct herself after being introduced by Adriana herself. The redundancy was not lost on her, but apparently that was how the blue bloods of society usually functioned- by overdoing and dramatizing everything.
They arrived at a tall tower, which was glowing with all of the colors of the rainbow. Advertisements were all over the sides of the building, showing various products that civilians would desire. Lightning didn't show any kind of surprise, but inside she was wondering why they would go to such an obnoxious location.
"After you, ma'am," he said, bowing. Normally she would only have those words spoken to her in a sarcastic tone, but Edmund was actually being genuine. She found that she disliked that; he was far too polite for her tastes. They stepped into a clean, fancy lobby, with elaborate mosaics all over the walls and a fountain in the center.
"Miss Schiffer wanted your training facilities to be aesthetically pleasing to the eye," he informed her. "I hope you find it satisfactory."
Lightning would have laughed, but she didn't want to ridicule him. She had learned about being soldier in a gray room with a bunch of smelly, overexcited men. Compared to that, the place was like Heaven. She guessed that Adriana must not have really been shooting for discipline if she was being taught in a building with such ornate decorations.
"I understand that you're probably hungry," said Edmund, gesturing to a sliding door on the left. "The dining hall is in this direction; if you would like to tell me what you want to eat…"
It then occurred to Lightning that she hadn't eaten for at least a day. Her stomach, as though to accentuate that point, let out a loud rumble. She didn't want whoever was cooking to go completely over the top, and so told Edmund that all she wanted was some salad. Not exactly filling, but she was used to eating lightly; it had become a habit of hers over the years. He bowed again, and left.
She wondered if she was allowed to wander around, but decided that she should probably just wait in the dining hall, which was just as, if not more, impressive than the lobby. Several statues of celebrated fal'Cie lined the sides of the room, and the table was incredibly long. The seat, no doubt sensing her body heat or something, moved out so that she could seat herself. Lightning shifted slightly, uncomfortable with so many luxuries. She found herself missing the simple times, when she and Serah would eat takeout and chat together in the kitchen.
Edmund returned bearing a plate of salad. Thankfully, he must have guessed that she would be more reserved, for there wasn't much on it aside from lettuce, tomatoes, croutons, and dressing. Eating in peace and silence wasn't something she was accustomed to anymore, and it felt unusual for her jaws to be crunching on the lettuce in a dull, robotic pattern. She ate every last bit, feeling not completely satisfied, but alright with it for now.
Edmund left, but not before directing her to the elevator. Her quarters were apparently on the fifth floor. He explained that she had the entire floor all to herself, and that there was a button she could push to ring him up if she required anything. Lightning thanked him, taking a moment to just take it all in while he left.
It was barely believable, and yet she felt guilty too. Here she was, living a life that many would gladly give an arm for, while her friends all fought for survival down in Gran Pulse. She hoped against hope that they would see sense and try to find a way to stop their brands, even without her. Surely Snow would realize that they had a chance to see her if they tried, right?
Right?
She sighed, shaking herself, and headed for the elevator. She really needed some sleep. Getting off on the fifth floor and not even paying attention to her surroundings, she found a room with an enormous bed. Collapsing on it in her clothes, she conked out.
"So you see, we have numerous colors and styles for you to choose from. You've already settled on the green eye contacts, but you need an appropriate change of hair, too."
Lightning gawked. Laid before her were what seemed like a hundred wigs, with no two wigs being the same. They actually seemed quite realistic, too, but after trying several on, she found that she didn't like them one bit. They itched horribly.
She had explored her rooms more thoroughly upon awakening- or at least, she would have, had Edmund not come in and insist that she get cleaned up and have a change of clothes. The bathtub was literally a pool, but the warm water had been relaxing. She had been in dire need of a bath for days now, and it felt good to be clean.
Her clothing consisted of a white blouse with the sleeves cut off at the elbow and a pencil skirt. It was a part of her new wardrobe, which Adriana had somehow already commissioned for her. She already disliked it- the blouses were practically see-through, and the skirts (while not abominably short), were still uncomfortable. Not to mention the number of stylish dresses that had been chosen for her, along with her worst nemesis: heels.
Lightning also had to get into the habit of applying makeup every morning, which she insisted on doing herself, even though Edmund had offered to have an artist come in and do it for her. Her rooms consisted of a bathroom (again, basically a pool and a toilet), a large and fancy bedroom, and an even larger room where she could practice fighting when she wanted.
Already, the latter was her favorite. One of the walls was made up entirely of windows, and presented an amazing view of the city. She could meditate in there to her heart's content once the day's training was finished.
She picked up another wig, with dark brown hair that would drop past her shoulders, though not as far as her waist. It had some bangs, giving her more of a modernized look. Looking in the mirror, she decided that it matched her now-green eyes the best.
"I'll use this one," she stated, with a look at Edmund.
"Excellent choice, Miss Schiffer," he said, bowing. As soon as she was put in charge, she was going to tell him to stop bowing to her every other minute. "I'll have several more copies made. After several days, one wig can smell rather… unpleasant."
She didn't think that she needed any facial structure changes; plenty of women had heart-shaped faces. Lightning put on the wig, and decided that she might as well start trying to act the part of Marion Schiffer. "What's on the agenda today?" she asked, making her voice sound slightly more alluring. Inwardly, she cringed at the change from her usual straightforward tone.
He did more than answer her question- he gave her a layout of the entire week's schedule. Monday: practice walking with and without heels, learn manners, sit differently, and overall learn to fit into her new personality. Tuesday: she had to continue to practice being Marion Schiffer, and they would begin her business lessons. Wednesday would be a continuation of the previous day, and Thursday was learning how to behave at social functions- what to say, what to do, who to talk to, etc. Friday and Saturday would be spent learning all of the big names in business as well as prominent politicians, and what their tendencies were. Rivals, allies, people who could pose a deadly threat…
"Several assassination attempts have been made from rival families over the years," explained Edmund.
Wonderful.
Adriana herself would come in at the end of each day to assess her, which Lightning found herself feeling slightly nervous about. The woman had an air of intimidation that she usually only attributed to Amodar and Galenth Dysley- or Barthandelus. She could tell that any slip up would be highly critiqued, and she would most likely slip up very often.
Her lessons began in earnest. Walking, apparently, required her to sway her hips slightly (she couldn't believe that Edmund was telling her all of this with a straight face; he even had a list on his laptop, for fal'Cie's sake!), and for her to be less rushed. Being a quick learner, she got the hang of it fairly quickly; all that was left was to be careful that she didn't fall into the habit of her old self.
The entire time, she tried to act the way she envisioned Marion Schiffer acting: confident yet humble, polite yet witty. She had to learn to sit less stiffly, but still be straight and proud at the same time. After somehow managing to do so for about half an hour, she glanced at Edmund.
"Will my Great-Aunt be coming now, Edmund?" she asked, remembering to keep her voice slightly softer.
"I believe so, ma'am."
"That's wonderful," she said, offering a pleased smile.
It hurt her face.
At the top of a cliff on Gran Pulse, a brown haired woman stared up at the floating shell. Suddenly, she stabbed her spear into the earth, fell to her knees, and screamed.
And screamed.
And screamed.
Lightning passed the week with an ease that surprised her. Perhaps she really was getting more used to her role as a member of the elite class. Each night, while Adriana had many corrections, she had managed to rise to her mentor's expectations. The day of the announcement was growing closer, and her 'homework' was to write her speech for after Adriana gave the word. And so she found herself, with a newly bought laptop, staring blankly at a word document on the screen, completely barren of any ideas as to what to write.
The only word that she had written was, "Greetings."
It sounded right, for her personality, at least. She banged her head on the table, trying to put together an intelligible sentence, but was at a loss. Lightning realized that she couldn't exactly afford to think like herself… she had to think like Marion. She hadn't wanted it to come to that, but now she couldn't even afford to keep her thoughts as her own.
Marion… would want to be inspiring. She was sure of that. She would strive to do anything she could to improve the company, and at the same time, she could still have ulterior motives. Lightning found herself nodding slowly, and began typing. Suddenly, she couldn't wait for Sunday to come.
"How are you today, Marion?" barked Adriana, not really sounding as though she cared. Marion offered a wry smile.
"Just fine, Aunt Adriana," she replied, still smirking. "Though I must say, writing speeches doesn't fail to work up an appetite."
The elderly Schiffer's face lit up with delight, though whether it was the prospect of getting food or the nature of her response, Marion couldn't tell.
"You're getting better at this," she remarked, confirming that it had been the latter. "Why, I believe you might even be able to charm the Primarch himself! He's certainly a handsome fellow…"
Marion wrinkled her nose. Dysley? Handsome? Those two words didn't deserve to be in the same sentence.
"Much more so than the last one," finished Adriana.
Last one? "There's a new Primarch?" she asked; she didn't need to fake her confusion, as it was real enough. Adriana gave her a look.
"Get into the habit of watching the news," she snapped, narrowing her silver eyes. "The new Primarch used to be the head of the Cavalry, from what I've heard. I forgot his name, but… Marion?"
Lightning felt as though the world was spinning around her. She put a hand to her forehead, trying to keep the shock at bay. Impossible… there was no way that he could be alive. She had seen him die; she had seen him turn to crystal!
It was all she could do to keep from snarling Barthandelus' name out loud in fury. It must've been him; he had to have revived Raines in order to retire, so that he could cook up some diabolical scheme that probably involved the six l'Cie. Did that mean that the others were in danger? Her thoughts were racing at a million miles per hour, and she barely noticed Adriana waving a hand in front of her face, trying to gain her attention.
"Marion!"
At last, Adriana's sharp tone managed to snap her out of it.
"My apologies," she said, sighing. "I was lost in thought."
"Good comeback," muttered Adriana. She couldn't tell whether she was being sarcastic or serious. Her 'aunt' remained an enigma to her.
Adriana Schiffer had explained her back story to her several days ago; she'd stated that her brother, who had supposedly been disowned by the family many years ago, had a daughter (her), when he suddenly died of illness. Ever since then, Marion herself had been raised in seclusion to take her role as the head of the company. Given the drama of the family that she had been learning about, Lightning thought it was a very believable story.
She had been presented with a datapad several days ago, which she was able to download her speech onto. According to Edmund, all that was now left was to choose something suitable to wear.
Of course there had to be a party involved.
Of course.
Cid Raines had never been one for social functions- specifically the type thrown by the elite members of society for events that had little or no relevance to the actual well-being of the floating shell they lived in. For the sake of politeness (and so that the press didn't chew him out for it), he chose not to fall asleep during Adriana Schiffer's long address on how much she treasured her company and the list of how much Schiffer Corp. had done for the Sanctum.
He was wearing a suit, as these sorts of things demanded formality (as much as he wanted to prance around singing like an unruly teenager). His advisors had been adamant that he attend the party, in order for a show of good faith.
He blinked; he hadn't even noticed when the old hag stepped off of the podium, leaving a stunning young woman in her place. Clad in a scarlet dress that hugged her curves nicely, the woman began speaking, starting out with several comments that made the audience chuckle. Her introduction as Marion Schiffer went past him; he wasn't listening in the slightest.
There was something about her that was very familiar.
He couldn't quite put his finger on it, though. It wasn't the way she looked- no one he specifically knew had dark brown hair and peridot eyes. It wasn't the way she spoke, either; she had a way of speaking that drew in the listener, making them want to hear more.
No, he decided, it was the way she stood. It was decidedly too stiff for someone her personality- he could see the way her muscles were taut, as though she were a lot more nervous than she let on.
"Areas in which we are weak will be improved, and areas in which we are already at maximum potential will remain at maximum potential."
Even as she spoke, her muscles relaxed, but it was probably a forced relaxation. He frowned to himself, studying her intently. What was it about the stiffness that was so familiar?
"…that the Schiffer Corporation is not just a company that sells weapons, but a company that supports the people of Cocoon."
Marion Schiffer, as she had introduced herself, finished with a little bit of flair, causing everyone present to break out into applause. Adriana had a very conceited look on her face, obviously pleased with her choice of successor. Cid was mildly impressed that someone so young managed to keep her cool in front of so many observers.
The guests broke up, wandering around the dance floor while music drifted across the area. Several highly honored employees of Schiffer Corp. were already crowding the younger Schiffer, bombarding her with questions that she answered gracefully. Her butler soon shooed them away, and she settled to speak with a representative from another company, a champagne glass in her hand.
He soon found himself having a close discussion with Yaag Rosch, who had been appointed as the new PSICOM director upon Jihl Nabaat's death. It wasn't long before Adriana dragged her niece over to greet the Primarch; of course she would want her heiress to have as many connections as possible.
"I'll leave you two to introduce yourselves," said the old woman, before snapping for Marion's butler to follow her. As the man dutifully wandered away, Marion offered them both a cordial smile.
"Good evening," she said, her voice quiet but firm. "It's an honor."
"The honor is all mine, Miss Schiffer," replied Raines just as smoothly, offering his hand. She took it, and he couldn't help but notice how carefully controlled her handshake was. Or perhaps it was his imagination; he couldn't really tell. "Congratulations."
"Thank you," she replied with a nod. She turned to Yaag. "PSICOM Director Rosch, I'm pleased to meet you as well."
"Likewise." He opened his mouth to say more, but one of his subordinates was waving him over. "My apologies, I have business," he said curtly, before striding quickly away.
"Is it very difficult, leading a nation?" Raines was startled by the question being directed at him, as well as the forwardness of it. Marion studied him with surprisingly sharp eyes, as though calculating his response.
"That usually depends on the nation," he replied carefully. It would be dangerous to say too much. "Isn't it difficult to run a business?"
"Depends on the business." She took an idle sip of her drink, still eyeing him almost warily. Raines had to wonder why she was being so observant; he decided that she was probably watching out for potential enemies.
"Still, it must not be easy," she mused. "Being instated so soon after the fiasco with the Pulse l'Cie. They still haven't been found since escaping the Palamecia, correct?"
"True," he admitted; inwardly, he was currently wincing. He knew exactly where the l'Cie probably were by now: in Pulse, trying in vain to find a way to rid themselves of their curse. But he couldn't exactly tell anyone that, much less the head of a very important company. He didn't want this young lady getting involved.
"What a shame," she sighed. "I think everyone would lose less sleep if they were caught."
He suddenly felt insulted; that had been a jab at him. He was sure of it. However, he didn't allow himself to react immediately, taking time to carefully compose a response.
"There are other dangers closer to home to consider," he stated firmly. For some reason, this caused her eyes to narrow almost dangerously, as though it had been him insulting her this time. Seeing her thrown off balance was actually quite satisfying, though he knew it was childish to think that way.
"Of course, that's understandable," she said, recovering much more quickly than he. With a colder manner than before, she nodded to him again. "We can't have you taking up all of my time, Primarch Raines." In a dexterous move, she switched their champagne glasses (hers nearly empty, his still quite full; he didn't typically drink) quickly enough that he almost didn't see it. "Thank you for the drink, sir, it was nice of you to give it to me." With that, she marched away, to speak to several other prominent members of society.
Raines stared after her for a few moments before sighing; his sixth sense was telling him that Miss Schiffer was somehow going to be trouble. He didn't know how, but somehow… somehow she was important.
He drained the last of her champagne, and exited the party. There was only so much politics he could take in one night.
What are you doing? Lightning screamed at herself as she took a break from all of the stifling conversation. You just snubbed Raines! RAINES! Great first impression on the Primarch, I'm sure! And that thing with the drinks- yeah, that'll get his attention off of you. Brilliant work today, idiot!
"Miss Schiffer?" asked Edmund, startling her. "Do you wish to retire for the night? Adriana has arranged an apartment for you, somewhere a bit homelier and useful than your training spot; I hope you don't mind."
She shook herself. "Not at all, Edmund," she said, smiling. "Tell my aunt that I'm grateful. And yes, I would like to leave. I'm worn out."
He bowed again, and she followed him, exchanging goodbyes and fake smiles with all of the guests. She had been filing away names and personalities all night to use later. Already she was making plans for her first day at the office, and trying to think of a way to contact the Cavalry anonymously. A small part of her was disappointed to see that Raines was no longer in attendance, but mostly she was relieved. She didn't think she could keep up her act with him around.
As she slid into the black car (Edmund was the driver; she distantly wondered if there was anything that he couldn't do), she sighed, relaxing fully for the first time since early that afternoon. Lightning knew that by the end of the week, she would probably be a nervous wreck, and who knew how long she would have to deal with this, anyway?
Grimly, she set a single goal for herself, which she knew she absolutely had to keep.
No matter what, she told herself as they drove through the brightly lit city, You will still be Lightning Farron. Remember that, above all else.
Remember who you are.
Author's note: Yay! Raines and 'Marion' meet! And now the catastrophe begins! And poor Fang…
I know I had a request that I explain a lot on what happens to the other l'Cie while Lightning is gone, but this fic is meant to be Lightning centric, so I can't do that. One of the major things hanging over her head is that they don't have her anymore, and she feels guilty about that. I'll probably re-introduce Wanda next chapter, as well as that Derrick guy.
I'm starting to love Edmund. He's like one of those kick-ass butlers that are totally cool.
Huh… and this is kind of random, but what would you all think if someone (not me) were to write a fic where Lightning wakes up in Hojo's laboratory to find out that her entire life has been a lie in order to train her to become a SOLDIER? Food for thought, people. Again, me being random.
One more thing. I have a poll on my profile that asks whether or not Lightning should be paired with the Purple Guy in XIII-2. If you have an opinion, go ahead and vote.
Review, please!