Author's Note:

First off, apologies for the late update. The beta had a very busy week, but she's so awesome and amazing and her edits helped so much that they were well worth the wait. Thank you to everyone that reviewed last chapter. I'm floored by all the wonderful comments this story has received and I'm just so ecstatic that all of you are enjoying it. I sincerely hope that continues. Everyone that reads, reviews, favorites and alerts this story inspire me to be better and to provide a thrilling, engaging story. So thank you. I can't express my gratitude enough.

Anyway, as mentioned above, profuse showerings of thanks and love go to H-thar, without whom I would be up the creek without a paddle. I hope all of you enjoy this latest installment and I'd love to hear what you think when you're finished reading!

Chapter 2

Time's Arrow

That morning my internal clock woke me up before the sun had begun to rise. My tired eyes focused on the ceiling, and I tried to remember if I had any dreams but found that I couldn't determine if I did or not. After seven years of dreaming, I figured that it would be a while before I started again. I closed my eyes and tried going back to sleep, but the solider side of me wouldn't allow it. I couldn't remember the last time that I had slept in past six in the morning. It had probably been back before my parents had died, back when things were less complicated.

I sighed heavily as I turned my head to look out the window. I could see a faint orange glow painting the horizon; it wouldn't be long before sunrise. I threaded my fingers through my hair, my eyes transfixed on the dark scenery outside the window, as I took a few moments to think about the magnitude of my situation. I considered myself exceedingly lucky that I hadn't slept for hundreds of years like Fang and Vanille had. Seven years was a minuscule blip in time compared to five hundred.

I was concerned for only a moment about whether or not I would be able to adapt to this new world. I was seven years behind, after all, and the GC could have changed even with Amodar's continued presence. For all I knew, the GC and Sanctum soldiers could have joined forces. I stopped that train of thought immediately before it could branch out any farther. It wasn't a question about whether I could or couldn't get used to this new world I had been unceremoniously dropped into. I didn't have a choice.

The door clicked as it opened and I looked to my left, spotting my sister's pink hair poking inside the doorway. She smiled when she saw my half-lidded eyes and bed head. "Good morning! I'm not surprised to see you awake already," she greeted, padding softly inside the room. She was fully dressed already, something I hadn't been expecting from her.

I smiled back and sat up, swinging my legs over the side of the bed. "When are we leaving?"

"As soon as you get ready," she replied as she walked toward the closet, pulling out one of my fresh uniforms. "Aven is eating cereal and Snow just left to buy our tickets."

I frowned as I accepted the uniform from her, calmly beginning to dress. "For an airship, right?" I asked, remembering when she had briefly mentioned the transportation system the other day.

"Exactly," she answered with a smile. "The government is working on a highway system between Paddra and Oerba, but things like that take a long time. Road crews have been working on it for the past half year, but it's extremely slow going because of the wildlife they have to watch out for." She paused and waited for me to finish getting dressed. "Anyway, let's go out and have a little breakfast. We can leave as soon as Snow gets back."

Aven waved at me when I came into the kitchen, smiling at me through a mouthful of sugary cereal. I sat down next to the small girl as Serah got some cereal for the both of us. The silence was a little awkward, so I felt the need to fill it. "So, Aven, did you like the story I read to you last night?"

She nodded, her smile widening. "Uh huh, dat book my favowite."

Serah set a bowl down in front of me, filled to the brim with brown flakes, oat clusters and raisins. I was surprised for only a moment when she hadn't given me the cereal that Aven was eating. My sister, being the careful observer she was, noticed my expression. "Did you want Aven's cereal, Sis?"

I smiled sheepishly as I shook my head. "No, this is fine."

Once Serah sat down across from me, we settled into a peaceful silence as we ate our breakfast. I stared down at my bowl, chewing slowly, and trying not to think about the reunion that would be taking place in a couple short hours. I had just finished my last bite of cereal when I heard the front door open and Snow call out for Serah.

"In here, babe," she replied, taking my empty bowl and placing it in the sink. "I was starting to wonder if you got lost."

"Sorry about that," Snow replied, tossing the tickets down on the table. "I ran into Sazh and Dajh at the airship dock. They're gonna wait there for us."

"Well, we're ready," Serah replied before looking at her daughter. "Right, Aven?"

"Yep!" she announced, hopping off her chair and running down the hallway. She returned a few moments later with a pink and purple backpack that looked dangerously close to bursting open slung over her shoulders. "I dot my stuff."

"Are you sure? I don't want to have to come all the way back here if you forget something," Snow said playfully, snatching his small daughter into the air and lifting her over his head.

She squealed in delight, tightly gripping her father's hands. "Yeah, I have evewything!"

Snow then gently placed Aven on his shoulders and wrapped his large hands around her ankles to make sure she wouldn't fall off. "Let's get going then!"

The airship dock was impressive. A whole conflagration of different sized airships were parked in the docks, and I had to control the urge to stare at them as we walked past like I had never seen one before. The technology had definitely come a long way and I was looking forward to seeing what else had changed. The crowd was immense and people were still staring at me like I was a legend come to life as we walked to our gate. It was unsettling, to say the least, so I concentrated on the back of Sazh's head and tried to take my mind off the fact that dozens of pairs of eyes were watching me.

Serah, who was walking beside me, looped her right arm through my left and whispered into my ear, "In the next week or two, you'll be old news." Even with her reassuring words repeating themselves in my head, I wasn't able to relax until we were in our own private cabin aboard the airship.

"How are you gettin' along so far, Lightning?" Sazh inquired as he sat down across from me, a large smile spreading across his face.

I ripped my eyes away from the familiar scenes of the Pulse wilderness flying by below us and cleared my throat. I still didn't know if I could put my feelings to words yet. "Alright, I guess," I responded, finding myself at a loss for what to say. "I'm just glad to be here." To be honest, it felt like everyone around me was moving at a hundred miles an hour while I was stuck in slow motion. The fact that the other day hadn't been a figment of my imagination was astonishing. A part of me had been surprised when I awoke in Serah's guest bedroom.

"We're all real glad to have you back. I just can't wait to see Hope's face when he finds out you're awake," Sazh said, the corners of his eyes crinkling as his smile widened.

I nodded and resumed looking out of the window, choosing not to respond to that. Ever since I had been reunited with everyone, all I heard about was how excited Hope would be when he saw me out of crystal stasis. I couldn't help but wonder why. Why exactly would he be so excited? Why had he even felt the need to visit my crystal like it was some sort of grave marker?

Don't forget that he looked up to you. That alone could be reason enough, my mind rationalized. I pursed my lips as I rested my elbow on the window sill and brought my hand to my face, tenderly rubbing my forehead. That thought made sense, but something in the back of my head told me that wasn't the only reason.

About an hour into our flight with another hour still to go, I turned to Snow, a question to which only he would know the answer swirling through my head. Impressed as I was with the new transportation system, it had occurred to me that there had originally been a faster way to travel.

"What happened to the Cie'th teleport stones we used?" I inquired, remembering how easy it had been to get around with those things at our disposal.

He crossed his arms and frowned, sitting in contemplative thought for a few seconds. "I'm not sure actually. They just sort of…disappeared. I think the fact that none of us were l'Cie anymore had something to do with it."

My eyebrows scrunched together as I considered his words. In all honesty, that was an interesting hypothesis, even for Snow. It was a shame they were gone, though. We could have been in Paddra already. Even though Snow's attitude was nonchalant, I couldn't shake the feeling that something about all of this was wrong. I couldn't put my finger on it, but my intuition was telling me that the Cie'th stones disappearing wasn't a good thing. If Snow or any of my other friends would have shown any amount of concern or worry over these strange disappearances I probably would have made a bigger deal out of it, but since no one else looked worried I wasn't going to press the issue.

My jaw muscles tightened as the silence enveloping us began to get awkward. I uncomfortably shifted my eyes back to the window, feeling everyone's gazes lingering on me, as if they were anticipating my next big question. I resisted the urge to sigh in relief when Sazh chose that moment to speak up.

"Might as well do some catchin' up while we wait. I guess I'll lead the charge." He paused to clear his throat like he was going to be delivering a long, important speech. "Been workin' for both the Guardian Corps and Oerba's air ship docks for the past three years. Haven't worked this much since I was Snow's age, but it helps keep me busy," he said, leaning forward to rest his elbow on his knee.

"What kind of work do you do for the Guardian Corps?" I asked him, leaning my head against the cool glass of the airship's window.

"I usually transport equipment and supplies between the bases," he answered proudly. "For the past few months, though, I've been helping the survey teams move between their areas of study."

Deep creases appeared on my forehead at his words and I sat up straight, my full attention on the aging pilot across from me. "Survey teams?" I questioned, trying to figure out the meaning on my own, but unable to come up with a conclusive answer.

"A few years back a group of scientists discovered huge underground pockets of resources like oil and natural gas about a hundred miles outside of Paddra. Don't ask how they found it, I'm not even sure myself. Then the military figured that since over half of Pulse is undiscovered, there has to be hundreds, maybe thousands, of natural resources out there that we can use. So they sent out survey teams," he explained, gesturing with his hands the entire time he was speaking.

I nodded and leaned back in my seat once more, knowing there was no real cause for alarm. I was getting ready to ask Sazh about Amodar when Snow decided that was his cue to cut in. "NORA is still going strong, too," the large man boasted. "We even managed to recruit a few extra members. Oh, and the GC appointed all of us Creature Control Officers."

I fought the impulse to roll my eyes. I should have assumed his little group of swashbucklers would never break up. "So, do you have any serious problems with the local wildlife?" I asked, casually crossing my right leg over my left.

"Yeah, but only a couple of times a week if we're lucky. Usually during the changing of the seasons we have a lot more trouble. You know, because that's when most of the migrations take place. And Oerba just so happens to be right in the middle of their path," he replied, adjusting the black bandanna on his messy mop of blond hair.

"Have there been any casualties?" I looked at Aven out of the corner of my eye, beginning to become concerned about everyone living in Oerba, not just my own family.

He shook his head. "No, thank the Maker. None of them ever get that close to the city. We make sure of that."

I nodded, relieved, and continued to look out the window as the conversation shifted to something that I really wasn't concerned with. I let my mind wander, contemplating a myriad of different things, but finding myself thinking mostly about Hope yet again. I was trying not to psych myself out about seeing him, but it was hard when so much time had passed for him while I had remained the same. I was still having a difficult time wrapping my head around that one and the fact that it was going to take a while yet until I adjusted to being so far out of the loop didn't make me very happy. My teeth ground together in irritation and I rested my chin in my hand, forcing myself to take a deep, cleansing breath.

Paddra was magnificent. It reminded me vaguely of Palumpolum and was probably just as expansive. Some of the buildings were so tall that I had to crane my neck all the way back to see the tops. I found myself just as flabbergasted as I had been in the airship dock and vaguely felt like a gaping tourist as I glanced around, standing at the edge of our group while we coordinated just outside. Serah quickly decided for the rest of us that we were going to walk all the way to Bartholomew's house just so I could get acquainted with a little bit of the city. Sazh hadn't been too thrilled about that one, but he eventually acquiesced after a little bit of prodding from his son.

Personally, I was torn. One part of me wanted to do a little sightseeing while the other part just wanted to hurry up and get to where we were headed. My sister had made that decision before I could choose which option I wanted more.

We had been walking for almost half an hour when an odd feeling passed over me. I paused in the middle of the sidewalk and let myself believe, if only for a second, that I was really in Palumpolum with my sister, my niece and all my other friends going to visit Hope. I tried to imagine myself at twenty-eight years old and attempted to conjure up a bunch of fake memories to fool myself into thinking that I hadn't been in crystal stasis, but found that I couldn't. When I was around Aven's age, I distinctly remembered wishing to never grow old. I wanted to turn eighteen and just stop aging. Of course, I didn't stop to think about everyone around me that would grow old and die while I remained young.

It's strange that I got my wish in such a twisted way.

That's when an unsettling thought about the course of my life blindsided me. If Serah hadn't been turned into a l'Cie, I would never have gotten on the Purge train and I would have never met Fang, Vanille, Sazh or Hope. I would still be living in Bodhum and still be blissfully unaware of how corrupted the Sanctum had really been. In that case, even though the end result was me missing out on seven years of my friend's lives, I was glad that the events had unfolded the way they had.

I was shaken out of my trance when a tiny hand wrapped around mine and tugged on it. I glanced down, still in a slight daze, and saw Aven looking up at me with a smile that looked so much like Serah's it was almost unnerving. "You fawling behind, Auntie Cwaire. You otay?"

I nodded absently, blinking my eyes a few times to shake myself the rest of the way out of my trance. "Yeah, I'm fine. Lead the way."

Her smile widened as she started skipping away, her hand still gripping mine tightly. I had to quicken my stride only minimally so I could keep up with her, the thought of gently taking my hand out of hers crossing my mind briefly, but I decided to tolerate her holding my hand for now. I lifted my head and saw the rest of the group waiting at the corner for us about a hundred yards ahead and was shocked that it had taken them so long to notice I wasn't with them. It must have been Aven that noticed my absence which, in turn, alerted my sister.

"What did you see, Claire?" she asked as I came to stand in front of her. She glanced over my shoulder and frowned as she tried to figure out what had made me stop.

"It was nothing. I just got distracted." I paused and looked around. We were in a shopping district; dozens of different stores and restaurants lined the streets all around us. I knew in the back of my mind that my sister was going to insist that we return here later so I could buy new clothes. I couldn't help the involuntary shiver at the thought of what the clothes looked like nowadays. If I thought some of them were bad seven years ago, I had no idea what to expect now.

"How much farther?" I grumbled, hoping I didn't sound like some petulant child, but not really caring much if I did. Had I known walking was going to take this long I would have insisted on taking a transport. I had the rest of my life to 'get acquainted' with Paddra as well as Oerba. I just woke up yesterday, after all.

"Not far. Just a few more blocks up then to the left," Serah answered. She pulled a fancy cell phone out of her purse, more than likely to check the time, then bit down nervously on her bottom lip. "Maybe we should have taken a cab. Hope might have gone to work already."

Wonderful. Leave it to my sister to think about something like that after the fact.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "We won't know until we get there. Let's just keep going."

It took about another fifteen minutes to get to Bartholomew's house, and when I saw the size of it I knew that his pay as mayor was considerable. As we walked up the gravel driveway, I suddenly felt my legs begin to shake and it got worse the closer we got to the front door. I had to resort to fisting my hands at my sides to prevent everyone from seeing them quivering. Snow would have immediately noticed and spoke up about it, which was something I wasn't prepared to be drilled about.

When we stopped in front of the large double doors, I almost felt like diving into one of the shrubs. Just the thought of doing something so foolish would have been out of the question a few hours ago, but now it was fair game. The seconds hung in the air when Serah lifted the large brass knocker and slammed it against the door three times, the sound reverberating around us. I relaxed my tightened fists just long enough to cross my arms and clutch the fabric of my uniform that was wrapped around my ribcage. I could feel my heart bouncing around in my chest and took a deep breath to calm myself down.

This is ridiculous! Why am I acting so childish? This is only Hope, for Maker's sake! I thought, barely retaining a grip on my emotions. I was glad to be standing in the back of the group so no one would see the torment I was putting myself through. I was fairly sure the expression on my face was far from pleasant.

When the door opened, my heart froze in my chest, my anxiety threatening to choke me. I sucked in a huge gulp of air when I saw Bartholomew's face come into view, my heart kick starting back into its normal rhythm. Hope's father answering the door didn't mean I was off the hook yet, though. As soon as he saw my sister's and Snow's faces he smiled widely and immediately moved to give both of them a hug.

"Serah! Snow! What brings you here?" he inquired, backing up a few paces.

I could already tell that Serah was going to give the poor man the run around and I knew that was something he didn't deserve. He was gracious enough to open his home to a group of l'Cie all those years ago even though that one action alone could have gotten him killed. Just as my sister was getting ready to speak, I stepped out from behind Sazh and casually approached him.

"It's nice to see you again, Bartholomew," I announced, going to stand next to my sister.

When he realized who was standing in front of him, he gasped and stumbled backwards a few steps like he had been punched in the gut, staring at me as though I had miraculously risen from the dead. "Lightning Farron?" he questioned, cautiously coming back toward me. He blinked his eyes rapidly and rubbed them vigorously, more than likely thinking that I was a figment of his imagination. He pulled his hands away from his face and ran both hands through his hair, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Forgive me, I just wasn't expecting to see you."

"It's alright," I responded, shaking his promptly outstretched hand.

"So when did you wake up? Recently, I'm guessing?" he asked, shock still lingering on his face.

"Yes, I woke up yesterday." I paused for a moment and glanced sideways at my sister. "We were actually wanting to see Hope as well. Is he still here?"

"He left for work nearly half an hour ago, unfortunately. You're welcome to come in, though. I'd love to catch up with all of you," he replied, stepping out of the doorway to invite us inside.

My shoulders slumped minutely. I wasn't at all surprised since we'd wasted the morning wandering all over town. I knew Serah's decision of walking would turn out to be a bad one.

I just about had a nervous breakdown for nothing. Wonderful.

"Thanks for the offer, Bartholomew, but there's something I need to do. I'll catch up with you later, if that's alright," I said, meeting my sister's gaze. The original plan had been to check in with GC Headquarters shortly after meeting Hope and company, but if we were going to be waiting around until Hope came back from work, I would need to use the time more efficiently.

"There are actually some things we need to take care of as well, but we'll be back. I hope you don't mind," Serah said to Bartholomew, shooting him an apologetic glance.

"Of course not. I'm off today, so I'm not going anywhere."

"Then we'll see you in a bit. Thank you so much," she replied with a smile.

We all bid Hope's father goodbye for the time being and began walking back toward the bustling streets of Paddra. The first thing I did once we were back on the main street was hail a transport. I definitely wasn't going to be walking to GC Headquarters. I didn't even know where it was, let alone how to get there. Serah rushed to my side then and wasted no time in shoving something into my hand.

"Here, take my cell phone. Call us once you've talked to Amodar." I glared down at the device in my hand with trepidation, not really wanting to take it.

Wouldn't meeting them back here be easier? I thought as I listened to Serah explain how to work her needlessly high tech and expensive looking cell phone.

A hover cab slid up to the curb a few seconds later and I sighed in relief. "I'll buy you your own before we go back home," my sister offered, smiling up at me.

I nodded absentmindedly and slid into the backseat of the cab, still staring at her phone. "GC Headquarters, please," I told the driver, beginning to tinker with the device. It was actually quite well-made, about the size of my hand with a vividly bright screen. It looked sophisticated enough to pass for a mini computer.

As long as I'm able to make calls I'll be happy.

"If you don't mind me saying," the driver began, pulling my attention away from the cell phone's screen. "Your uniform is pretty old. How long have you been in the GC?"

I frowned at the back of the man's head, not quite comprehending what he had said, and glanced down at my uniform. There were so many things that my mind was trying to process all at once that everything else seemed like white noise. I could feel the beginning of a headache start to pound behind my eyes and I lifted a hand to rub them. It was going to be a long day.

"What's wrong with my uniform?" I muttered, my voice coming out a little more agitated than I meant.

"Besides the fact that the GC recently changed them? Nothing," he replied, meeting my gaze through the rear view mirror. "I enlisted in the GC after everyone from Cocoon moved down here to Pulse, to help out with anything that I could. Got out a couple of years ago, so that's how I knew your uniform was old. I've never seen you before, though." The man narrowed his eyes at me, his voice taking on a suspicious undertone.

I sighed inwardly. This man was probably one of a handful of people that actually didn't know me and wasn't aware that I had been a crystal for the last seven years. I didn't have the time to come up with a convincing lie, so just telling him the truth would have to suffice.

"That's because I've been in crystal stasis for the past seven years. I was a Sergeant in the Bodhum Security Regiment," I stated matter-of-factly.

His eyes widened and his dark brows furrowed all at the same time, making me wish I hadn't told him the truth after all. I could already hear the plethora of questions that he wanted to ask me. "Oh, so you were one of those l'Cie then? I think I remember you now." The corners of his eyes crinkled as he examined my face a little more carefully.

"Yes," I replied, swallowing nervously as my throat constricted. The way he was looking at me was unsettling. I realized a little too late that I probably shouldn't have told him the truth. This man could be anybody. He could have been one of the people that hated and feared anything of Pulse origin. I ground my teeth together as I prepared myself for a negative reaction on his part.

"Huh," he responded, one corner of his mouth curling upwards. "Welcome back then."

I was so shocked by his words that I didn't quite know how to respond. I definitely hadn't been expecting him to say that. In fact, anything I might have expected to happen was highly unlikely. Now that Cocoon's populace was on Pulse I imagined that their perspective of what was evil and what wasn't had changed drastically. Now that they weren't living under constant fal'Cie supervision, they were free to develop their own opinions. That conclusion had effectively eased my thoughts. Somewhere in the back of my mind I was worried that it wouldn't be as easy for me to adjust to living in this new world because of my past as a l'Cie. Even though my sister had alleviated most of my fears, a few had still remained.

I diverted my attention back to Serah's cell phone, continuing to explore all of its functions for the remainder of the ride. The driver didn't speak again, even though I wouldn't have minded if he chose to strike up another conversation with me.

I didn't even notice when the hover cab came to a halt outside GC Headquarters until the driver spoke up. "Alright, since you're a member of the GC, I'll give you a break on the fare. Give me twenty-five gil and we'll call it even."

I glanced at the small computer screen on the dashboard that calculated the distance and the amount of the fare while I procured a stack of bills out of my leg pouch. I would have been happy to pay the fifty-four gil amount, but I wasn't about to argue with the man. I handed the driver the gil then swiftly stepped out of the cab, placing my sister's phone in my pouch and zipping it back up. I stood there on the sidewalk and stared at the stark white GC building for a few moments before approaching the guard shack.

A young man in a GC uniform was standing near a chain link fence, and as I got closer I saw a second sitting inside the shack behind a small desk. I nodded once in greeting to him and he nodded back. "How can I help you?" he asked, his eyes dancing between my shoulder pauldron and my face.

"I'm Sergeant Farron. I've come to report to Colonel Amodar."

His eyes bugged out of his skull when he heard my last name. "F-Farron? Lightning Farron?" I simply nodded, knowing that saying anything wasn't mandatory. The young soldier started stammering and tripping over his words, solidifying the fact that I was indeed some kind of celebrity. I closed my eyes and rolled them, crossing my arms stiffly over my chest as I waited for him to form a coherent sentence.

And just when I was thinking I'd get treated semi normally here of all places…

"Crowley, get on the radio! Tell the Colonel I'm on my way to his office with someone important! Do it!"

The soldier named Crowley stood and rushed over to the far wall, grabbing an ear piece that was hanging near a sophisticated looking computer panel. I followed the soldier whose name I had yet to learn through the gate and into the base. I had half a mind to talk with him if only to find out who he was, but I realized that whether or not I knew his name was irrelevant. I was here to see Amodar, not become buddies with half the soldiers on the base.

After only a few minutes of leading me through the empty halls of an administrative building, he slowed his pace so that he was right beside me. I glanced over only to find him staring at me, his eyes still wide with shock.

"I'm sorry for not introducing myself earlier. The name's Corporal Eckhart." He extended his hand and I curtly shook it once. "There were so many people that thought you were never going to come out of crystal stasis. When did you wake up?"

"Just yesterday," I answered, looking at him briefly out of the corner of my eye.

Now that he was talking to me I felt a kind of aversion to him and I couldn't figure out why. I tried putting a reason to my feelings, but the only thing that came to mind was the fact that I was about to come face to face with my commanding officer for the first time since the Bodhum Fireworks Festival, back before I had been turned into a l'Cie. Saying I was nervous was just a little bit of an understatement.

I had lost track of where we had been going when he began speaking to me, so after we took a right turn down a nondescript hallway I had to admit that I was lost. Eckhart stopped unexpectedly, catching me off guard. "The Colonel's office is right at the end of this hallway. I have to get back to my post. It was nice to meet you."

"Thank you," I replied, nodding my head at him. He wasted no time in going back the way he came, quickly disappearing into the maze of monotonous hallways.

My walk down the hall toward Amodar's office felt much longer than it actually was. As I got closer I felt a flare of excitement wash over me. If Amodar was anything like how I remembered him, then I knew exactly how my reunion with him was going to go. I couldn't very well say that about what would happen when I saw Hope again. My relationship with Amodar was strictly professional, and that would never change. My relationship with Hope was more complicated than that, which was why I had no idea what to expect when it came time for us to reunite. I sighed in relief as I wrapped my hand around the cold metal of the doorknob leading into Amodar's office. This small slice of normalcy was exactly what I needed to carry me through the rest of the day.

The first thing I saw when I entered the office was the colonel pacing back and forth behind his desk, a troubled expression on his face. After my initial examination of him, I realized the driver of the hover cab had been right – the uniforms were indeed different, but not by much. Instead of the brown, cream and white colored leather that had been the norm, Amodar's uniform was almost completely black. Silver stripes adorned the shoulders, arms and torso and even his shoulder pauldron was different. I discovered I liked the look of this new uniform much better.

The opening of the door caught his attention and he looked up, freezing when he saw me standing in the doorway. Surprise flashed through his dark brown eyes before being replaced with understanding. One corner of his mouth curled upward as he casually walked around his desk with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Well, if it isn't Lightning Farron. I had a feeling you were going to show up again someday." He saluted first, which caught me off guard. He was an officer as well as my superior, so I would have been the one to salute first. I quickly saluted back, figuring there was a reason behind his going against policy.

"Please, have a seat." He pointed to a plush chair as he walked back to the other side of his desk and sat down. "What brings you here today?"

"I'd like to come back to work."

His smirk grew wider and he chuckled, his warm eyes shining with mirth. "I can read you like a book, Farron. Why am I not surprised?" He leaned back in his chair and laced his hands behind his head. "How long have you been back?" he asked casually, like I had been gone on an extended leave of absence.

"Since yesterday," I answered, keeping my answers short and simple. I didn't need to explain myself to Amodar.

"You've been asleep for seven years and you don't even want to take a little break?" When I remained silent, he laughed a little more. "You've always been an exceptional soldier, Farron. I'd be stupid if I denied your request." He paused and gazed at my face, narrowing his eyes until they were nothing more than tiny slits. "You were a Sergeant back in Bodhum, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Then I'll make a deal with you. I promote you to First Lieutenant and you take a week to relax. How does that sound?"

I blanched at him, unable to keep the shock over his words from sliding onto my face. I seriously started to think that I was still in crystal stasis. Since I had only been an enlisted soldier back on Cocoon, making the jump to officer was a huge deal and something that I hadn't thought to prepare myself for. Earning the rank of First Lieutenant would have taken me an additional year to a year and half if I had never been branded as a Pulse l'Cie, and that was if I had been accepted into an officer candidate program. I swallowed the lump that had settled in my throat, unsure of how to respond.

"I feel honored, sir. Honestly… I don't really know what to say," I stammered, my voice quaking.

"Say that you'll take it," Amodar said, leaning forward and resting his elbows on the surface of his desk, leveling me with an intense stare.

My answer was immediate. "I accept, then. Thank you, sir."

"No thanks needed, Farron," he replied as he rose from his chair. "You're a damn fine soldier and you deserve it. You actually woke up at the perfect time. I've been looking to give someone a promotion for the past couple weeks, and now that you're back, my decision is obvious. You're to report back here next Wednesday at thirteen hundred hours to begin your officer training. I'll have your new uniforms and shoulder pauldrons ready for you. Understood?"

I got up as well and saluted. "Yes, sir. I'll see you then."

He smiled and bowed his head. I took that as a dismissal and promptly left his office. Once I was back in the hall, I breathed in deeply through my mouth and slowly out my nose in an attempt to calm my racing heart. As I made my way out of the base, I didn't fight the smile that spread across my mouth. That meeting had gone much better than I could have imagined.

I wasted no time in calling Snow's number once I left the base. Serah would be overjoyed to learn about my promotion as well as the week that I had off. I had a feeling that she was going to jam pack the next seven days with as many off the wall activities as she possibly could, which was something I wasn't immensely thrilled about, but was willing to put up with anyway. Actually, I was so relieved to be out of crystal stasis that I was willing to put up with just about anything if it would make Serah happy.

I took another deep breath as I scrolled through the contacts list to Snow's name and dialed. It only rang three times before my brawny brother-in-law answered. "Done already, huh?"

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes even though he couldn't see me. "Obviously. Where should I meet you?"

"Actually we're – oh wait, Serah wants to talk to you."

Only a few seconds passed before my sister's voice came through the other end of the line. "Hey Sis, we've got a little bit of a situation on our hands." I immediately detected a hint of worry in her voice and my brows pinched together in worry.

"What happened?" All the possibilities of the worst case scenarios began running through my head and my stomach twisted into an uncomfortable knot. Telling her about my promotion had just fallen to the wayside.

"We can't find Dajh," Serah said hesitantly. "He asked to go to a video game store down the street from where we were, and when we went to get him he wasn't there. We're only about a ten minute walk from GC Headquarters. Could you walk around and help us look for him, please? Sazh is starting to get really worried."

I huffed in frustration as I began walking up the street, not really caring if I was going the right way or not. "The kid doesn't have a cell phone or something?" I asked, scanning the streets for Dajh's little afro. I was just a tad irritated and I wasn't scared to show it.

Serah chuckled nervously. "He has one, but Sazh kind of took it away yesterday. Ironic, right?"

I stopped and propped my free hand up on my hip, staring down at the pavement with astonishment. "Just a little." I sighed and rubbed my eyes, my irritation bubbling in the back of my throat. "Alright, I'll keep an eye out for him. If I find him, I'll let you know."

"Thank you so much, Claire, really! I'll talk to you later."

I ended the call and slid Serah's phone back in my pouch, my aggravation threatening to get the best of me. I flexed my hands into tight fists as I began walking down the street, wondering what else could possibly go wrong today. I was a soldier, and I was used to having a structured schedule to follow. Nothing about today had gone according to plan and it was only getting worse.

What's going to happen next? I thought to myself with ire.

I paused at a four way stop, looking back and forth between the three streets that I could choose from. After only a few seconds, I decided to keep going straight for another block or two. That decision, in the end, paid off. I stumbled upon an immense park two blocks up and one block left. I'm not sure why, but something in the back of my mind told me that I should start there.

The closer I got to the park the more people I saw, and inspiration suddenly struck me like a sign from the heavens. I pulled my sister's cell phone from my pouch, not bothering to stop walking, and browsed through her pictures, praying that she had a recent picture of Dajh somewhere in there. Finding Sazh's teenage son would be much easier if I could ask a few of the park patrons if they'd seen him. I heaved a loud sigh of relief when I found one. Finally, things were looking up.

I figured starting with a few of the children would be the most logical first step. Most kids noticed things that a lot of adults didn't, so I was banking on one of them seeing Dajh. I was hoping that the kids wouldn't be afraid to talk to me and that their parents wouldn't think I was some sort of weirdo. I kept Serah's cell phone gripped tightly in my hand as I entered the park with Dajh's picture ready.

I was only walking for about a minute before I found an extravagant play area in a clearing filled with dozens of children. All the parents were sitting on benches around the perimeter, and the prospect of talking to a few of the kids seemed rather dim. I looked to the right, spying three women sitting at a picnic table conversing with one another. I decided, in the end, to start my search for Dajh with them.

"Excuse me," I began when I stopped next to the table. The three women turned toward me and smiled, no hint of recognition to be seen in their expressions. "Good afternoon, I'm Sergeant Farron of the Guardian Corps. Have any of you seen this boy?" I handed the phone to the nearest woman and waited as all three of them examined the picture.

One of the women, a small brunette, looked up at me with a suspicious look on her face. My eyebrows twitched as she analyzed my face like I wasn't telling the truth about who I was. "Why are you looking for him?" she asked as her dark eyes narrowed.

"His father is a personal friend of mine. We came here to visit some friends and got separated on our way there." I was hoping that my vague explanation would be enough for the skeptical woman. My military ID still showed that I was a Bodhum Security Officer. If she asked to see it I was going to have a lot of explaining to do.

"I saw him," she answered after a few tense moments. She handed Serah's cell phone back to me and I found myself breathing another sigh of relief. "He was right over there, playing with a few of the other children." She pointed to a group of older-looking kids that were tossing a ball around. I would be going to speak with them next. "He left about ten or fifteen minutes ago."

I nodded, keeping my eyes on the group in case they moved elsewhere. "Did you happen to see where he went?"

She shook her head, the light breeze carrying a few strands of her hair in front of her face. "No, I looked away to check on my daughter and when I looked back he was gone," she said as she promptly brushed those errant strands of hair behind her ear.

"Thank you for your time."

I power walked around the play area, approaching the group of adolescents that the woman had pointed out like they were going to blow away like smoke in the wind if I didn't reach them fast enough. The group consisted of three boys and two girls, all looking to be around Dajh's age. I was only a few feet away from them when one of the girl's throws sailed over the head of the boy it had been intended for and I was close enough to pluck it agilely out of the air before it hit the ground.

"Wow, good catch!" the boy announced, jogging over to me.

I tossed the ball back to him. "Thanks," I said, holding my sister's cell phone out to him. "I've been informed that this boy was over here not long ago. Do you know where he went?"

He only looked at the screen for a few seconds then smiled and laughed. "Yeah, I know this kid. He's cool. I met him at a summer camp last year. He took off in that direction," he replied, pointing his finger ahead of him into the tree line. "He didn't even say where he was going. He just took off."

My heart dropped into the pit of my stomach, a feeling of foreboding falling over me as I snatched the cell phone out of his grasp. "Thank you," I said as I turned around and quickly walked away.

The bad feeling that was twisting my insides into a coiled mess got worse with every step and I had no idea why. I was praying to the Goddess that I would find Dajh in one piece. As soon as I entered the trees I began shouting his name as loud as I could, hoping he hadn't gotten too far away. Dajh didn't quite seem like the outdoors type, so the thought of him just wanting to take a leisurely stroll through the forest seemed highly unlikely. I knew then that there must have been a reason for him to leave his friends without telling them where he was going.

I stopped that thought right there as something occurred to me. Yeah, there must have been a good reason for him to leave that video game store without telling his father, too. I'm noticing a peculiar pattern here, I thought, pausing and holding my breath when I was sure I had heard a voice not far in the distance.

"I'm over here!" I hadn't heard Dajh speak very much since my awakening, but I immediately recognized his voice, taking off in the direction that it was coming from.

I jumped over a low shrub and saw him huddled on the ground in front of a large tree, cradling his left arm. The expression on his face was nothing short of pure agony and I had a fairly good idea of what happened.

After reaching his side, I knelt down next to him and gently laid my hand on his shoulder. "Dajh, can you stand up?"

"I don't know," he sobbed, fresh tears leaking from under his eyelids. "My arm really hurts."

"Can you move it?"

He shook his head. "No, it hurts too much. I think I broke it."

"What happened?" I asked as I pulled out the leaves and twigs that had twisted themselves into his afro.

"I was playing ball with my friends when a cat ran past me, so I took off after it. I think I might've scared it because it ran up this tree. I tried to get it down, but right before I reached it one of the branches snapped. There wasn't anything else I could hold onto so I fell," he sobbed, his voice a mere whisper.

"Alright, I'm gonna help you up. Brace yourself." I leaned over him and wedged my right hand under his left side while I hooked my left around his back. After a few calming breaths, I yanked him off the ground as quickly as I could. When he was on his feet his shocked gaze moved from my face, then down to the ground, astonished that I had gotten him up so fast.

"Where's the nearest emergency clinic?" I asked.

"Down the street," he mumbled just loud enough for me to hear. It seemed like he wanted to say more, but he clamped his teeth down on his bottom lip, suddenly finding the ground around his feet intensely interesting. I narrowed my eyes slightly, but thought nothing more of it.

"Alright, before we go anywhere let's get that arm stabilized." I leaned over him again, helping him situate his arm against his chest and gently probed his forearm with my fingertips starting at his wrist. "Let me know where it hurts."

He gasped and turned away from me when I hit a tender spot about an inch from his elbow. "Ow, ow, ow! Right there!" he wailed, his voice breaking.

"Try not to move it."

I straightened and racked my brain for something I could use to immobilize his arm with. I briefly considered using his own shirt, but knew that I would have to cut it off of him if I wanted to use it. My fingers found the smooth edges of my survival knife that was tucked securely in my pouch, but inspiration struck when I saw the edge of my red cape swaying gently in the light wind blowing through the trees. I unclipped it from my back and looped it around Dajh's injured arm, being extremely careful not to jostle it, then tied the red fabric tightly behind his neck. I smirked inwardly as I inspected my makeshift sling. It had been a while since the last time I had done a field dressing, and it honestly wasn't half bad. Dajh looked up at me through a veil of tears, his bottom lip quivering, as he waited for me to make the next move.

"Let's go. Your dad is worried about you." I placed my hand on his shoulder and calmly led him out of the park. I considered scolding him for not telling anyone where he was going, but smartly kept my mouth clamped shut. I would leave that task to his father. I didn't know him well enough to give him that kind of advice.

The entire ten minute walk to the clinic was almost unbearable. Dajh's whimpers of pain at his arm being jostled as he walked was heartbreaking, but there was nothing more that I could do for him. I concentrated on the large red cross hanging above the clinic's door, attempting to shut out the crying teen beside me. I hadn't had to deal with something like this since Serah was his age, and I was no longer accustomed to it.

Both Dajh and I breathed a collective sigh of relief when we walked through the doors of the clinic. The sharp odor of disinfectant and latex that filled the room immediately slapped me in the face, making my eyes water. I fought off the impulse to cover my nose. The waiting area was empty, which I was glad for, but no one was behind the counter. I wondered for a moment if there was even anyone in the back.

"Go sit down, Dajh," I said, directing him to one of the padded chairs. He nodded his head stiffly and sat down, the muscles in his jaw tight. If I looked hard enough I could even see tiny beads of sweat dotting his forehead. The poor kid was in pain and I was hoping whoever worked here hadn't gone on a very early, very impromptu lunch break.

I rang the small silver bell sitting on the counter and leaned over it, craning my neck around to see if anyone was in the office. The back office was empty, and I watched the clock that was hanging on the far wall as I waited for someone to appear. My right foot started to tap the floor as the seconds slowly ticked by, my patience beginning to wear thin. I was getting ready to do something drastic – maybe even yell – when I heard soft footfalls approaching from somewhere to the left.

I huffed impatiently. Finally! Were they sleeping or something?

As soon as I saw the silver hair and unmistakable green eyes, it felt like the floor fell out from underneath me and I was left suspended in midair. My jaw unhinged and sagged open at the sight of his matured face. The crystal clear memory of his fourteen year old visage kept flying up in front of my eyes no matter how hard I tried to keep it away. Hope was here – now – and I was nowhere near ready for it.

That whole exchange in my mind had taken place over only a second or two. He hadn't noticed me yet. "Sorry about that. I was busy in the back. How – "

His voice was effectively cut off when our eyes met and his face took on an expression eerily similar to mine. We both stood there frozen in place for what seemed like hours. I completely lost all track of time as I stood there in a stupor. When he finally moved, he brought a shaking hand up to cover his mouth to hide the fact that the muscles in his face were quaking underneath his skin. Everything that I had wanted to say to him disappeared out of my mind like water from a sieve. I knew that I had to say something to break us out of the trance we were locked in, but I had no idea where to start.

Hope moved his hand away from his mouth and looked like he didn't know what to do with the appendage. He shook it around like he had just received a nasty shock then placed it on his hip, gripping the waist band of his white scrubs pants with a grip so tight I could see his knuckles turn bone white from where I was standing.

"Light?" If my eyes had been closed I would have never guessed that he had just spoken. His voice was so different that hardly any trace of what it used to sound like remained. My breath caught in my throat suddenly, and I found it hard to keep my lungs working. It almost felt like those last few seconds of swimming underwater before breaking the surface and filling your lungs with that first, glorious breath of air.

Right then, in that moment, was when I started fervently thanking the powers that be that I wasn't sleeping anymore.