Lightning - Our Promise

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The seaside town of Bodhum was preparing for its annual fireworks festival in a few days. The Guardian Corps were overseeing the large influx of visitors, ensuring no one unauthorized entered with weapons and guiding any first-time visitors. Helping advise people around was you, a sergeant in the Guardian Corps, as you helped oversee the flow of human bodies while also helping where needed. Seeing that the flow of people was starting to die down, you took this opportunity to excuse yourself from the chaos, ordered others to do so, walked over to a nearby unoccupied bench, and sat down.
"A lot more people than last year, sarge?" One of your soldiers asked you.
"Maybe..." You answered honestly. Not like you were expected to keep a headcount anyway.
"Feels just as hectic, though." You took a sip from your water bottle as the sun beat down on you. You took off your hat to let the top of your head breathe a little from all the heat trapped within as you seemed to lean as far back as you could on a public bench.
"Hardly working?" A female voice pulled you out of your stupor as you opened one eye and recognized the familiar pink locks.
"Lightning," You said as you turned your head to face her. "Taking over from here?"
"Yep." She replied monotonously. "Shifts are shortened because of the heat."
"Don't let my dying self stop you from taking over." You then turned to your platoon. "You heard the lady; cool off or go enjoy yourselves."
You heard the rush of footsteps as soldiers went to do their duties. Meanwhile, you were still splayed out on the bench and felt Lightning's gaze.
"Did I do something wrong?" You asked her.
"Need extra?" She asked while handing you a water bottle.
"Nah." You say as you gently push her hand out of the way and then stand up. "Was gonna grab a cold treat on my way back anyway." The two of you bid farewells to one another as you sought out some shop for ice cream. As you walked along the beach, ice cream in hand, your mind was elsewhere as you wandered around Bodhum.
"Lightning's birthday is almost coming up." You thought to yourself. "What kind of gift would she want anyway?"
There was hardly anything you and Lightning withheld from one another, but gift-giving back then was much more straightforward. Lightning's changed quite a lot since then, so what she might want as a gift should also have.
"Maybe something military? But...it's nothing that she can't earn eventually."
Maybe military, trendy, or something old-fashioned...you couldn't figure it out. Your brain has too preoccupied with thinking about the perfect gift for Lightning; you bumped into someone, and what was left of your ice cream cone was now on the wooden deck, melting away.
"Ah man, I just washed this shirt!" Came a masculine voice you recognized.
"Sorry about that." You apologized. You looked at the person you bumped against and saw that it was Serah's fiancée, Snow.
"You're paying for the wash." He declared.
"Yeah, sure." You replied absentmindedly. Before you could wander off, Snow stood before you and placed a hand on your chest to get you to stop.
"You here," He said while pointing down at the ground. He then pointed towards the sky. "Or are you in space?"
"Sorry, Snow. Just thinking about something is all."
"Oh yeah? Shoot."
"A birthday present for Lightning."
Your statement also perplexed Snow as he stroked the stubble around his chin.
"That is a hard one."
The two of you started spitballing general ideas about the gift, only to shoot each other down with logical reasons as to why Lightning might not like it. The two of you threw in the towel, prompting Snow to get the expert on what Lightning might like; her sister Serah. You did not want to get Serah's thoughts on this since perhaps you and Snow might have been able to figure out something together. Two heads are better than one, after all. Regardless, nothing like an expert's opinion could help illuminate things. If Serah couldn't provide a specific item, then perhaps something like a type of item.
"I see..." Serah said after you and Snow filled her in on the situation. "Hmm...what would she want?" She tapped her chin as she paced back and forth until an idea came. "Think about it like this; what do YOU think is missing from her life?"
"What do I think?" You echoed back to her. "...a motorcycle?"
Serah shook her head. "The problem is that you're focusing on who Lightning is. Maybe you should also consider what she might be missing out."
"What she might be missing out on...." The thinking began to clear up. Now, you were thinking up possible items that Lightning might want to try out while also seeing if it is something she'd at least give a half-hearted attempt at it. Serah saw the cogs spinning in your head as a smile formed on her lips.
"Seems like you have something in mind." Serah pointed out.
"Something feminine." You answered.
"Feminine?" Snow repeated with a bewildered look on his face. "Why would—"
"That's perfect!" Serah interrupted her fiancée. Snow looked at you, hoping to get some explanation for why you think a feminine gift is perfect for Lightning.
"When's the last time you saw Lightning with anything tied to her femininity?" You asked Snow. Snow gave it some thought before acquiescing with a gesture that said, "Fair enough." You pitched the idea that the gift to Lightning would be related to make-up, and both Serah and Snow nodded in agreement.
"Remember; make it practical." Serah reminded you. "She won't use it if it takes too long to put on."
With newfound hope in getting Lightning a gift, you bid farewell to the couple as you made a beeline for a make-up store on Bodhum. While in the make-up store, you stood there like a lost child staring at the cornucopia of options. Honestly, you expected a store in Bodhum to be something other than this well-stocked. The number of possibilities was just overwhelming, so you were mentally crossing out brands and shades that would not be something Lightning would regularly put on. The lipstick you sought needed to be subtle enough to compliment her natural lip color. It also required a matte finish, nothing to give attention to itself. In short, something subtle but not noticeable at first glance. If she wanted to experiment with flashier colors, that was her choice, but you at least tried to introduce her to that possibility.
Looking over your options for lipsticks puts you in a bit of a trance, so much so that you never notice someone trying to get your attention until they snap their fingers in front of you. That snap sent a jolt through your body like you were waking up as you saw it was your sister, Lebreau.
"Gee, even though I got some warning from Snow," Lebreau sighed. "I didn't think you'd be zoning out that bad."
"Perfect timing, sis!" You exclaimed, ignoring what Lebreau said. "I need you to help me pick out a lipstick."
"Thanks for ignoring what I said...." Lebreau then looked at what you were looking at moments ago. "So, what did you have in mind for Light?"
"Something subtle. Nothing that stands out and something to get Light to consider maybe buying lipstick, at least."
"Subtle, but something for her to consider...."
You watched the expert go to work, taking various shades of pink and creating lines across the back of her hand like an artist making their palette of colors. She showed them to you, asking which one you thought might fit Lightning the best, seeing as this was your gift. You chose the shade of light pink, a perfect match for her hair color.
"Glad I could help." Lebreau said as she patted your back while leaving the store.
"You better keep quiet!" You shouted at her as she left while you paid for the lipstick.
"No promises!"
Since she worked at her bar, you could hardly do anything to curb whatever "gossip" she had to talk about. You just had to hope that she didn't blabber to Lightning. Even though it was improbable, it wasn't impossible. That was a problem for future you, and right now, current you is more than happy with the gift you got for Lightning.
A handful of days later, it was Lightning's birthday. You tried to get a day off to take her out for dinner, but unfortunately, someone had to get sick, and you were chosen to fill in. So instead of giving her the present at dinner, you had to run to her home and give it there and then. Standing in front of the door to her and Serah's home, you cleared your throat and knocked on the door. The person who greeted you was Serah, who looked at you with a "What's her present?" as you answered her stare by flashing the gift-wrapped lipstick.
"Lightning, it's for you!" She shouted as she flashed you a smile that said, "Good luck" before she walked out of view. Lightning stopped before you; before she could ask what brought you here, you showed her birthday present.
"Happy Birthday, Light." You said. You saw she was a little shocked; her usual poker face broke for a second. Whether or not this was a good thing, you would hope to find out soon. "I would've given this to you after a dinner or something, but...." You then gestured to the Guardian Corps uniform you were wearing.
"Thanks, Y/n." Her monotone voice not necessarily helping build confidence in you. "Can I...open it?" You let her know she could as she undid the ribbon on the box and opened it up. She picked up the lipstick from its resting place and looked at it, analyzing it like a detective examining evidence from a crime scene. She didn't seem disgusted or repulsed by it, so that's a good sign.
"I got you lipstick," You started to explain your gift to her. "None of the gaudy stuff 'cause I knew you wouldn't try it. I have never seen you wear any make-up, so I thought you might try it." You then realize she might misconstrue what you said as thinking she's ugly without it.
"Y-you're still...very pretty without it, though..." One thought polluted your mind after explaining your gift: you blew it.
"Nice save." Lightning commented after a light chuckle. "I appreciate the gift. Thank you, Y/n."
"No problem..." You said, red as a cherry. "If you still want that dinner, let me know."You began to walk off but stopped in your place when Lightning shouted your name."How about tomorrow night?" She proposed.
You thought about it briefly, mainly to check your mental calendar if you were busy then. "I'll hold you to it!" You shouted as you turned around and ran off towards Bodhum proper.Your idea of a romantic dinner, at least one where you take your partner out, was not the classic fancy restaurant. Because you and Lightning could be called to duty at any given point, you needed to restrict the distance you could travel. Your idea of "romantic" was burgers eaten on the shores of Bodhum. If you made a mess while eating, you could take a swim. The "wait thirty minutes, or you'll get a cramp" be damned! The next day, you walked towards Lightning and Serah's home in a more casual attire than your last visit and knocked on the door.
"Coming!" You heard on the other side of the door. The tone of the voice was higher pitched, meaning at least Serah was home. When it opened, your guess was correct as you were greeted by the younger of the Farron sisters.
"Is Light here?" You asked Serah, not dealing with pleasantries.
"Are you two on a date?" She whispered back to you.
"I think it's a date. She probably thinks it's a friendly dinner." You whispered honestly to Serah.
"What's so hush-hush?" A monotonous voice interrupted your conversation with Serah as you saw Lightning behind her, an eyebrow raised quizzically as Serah frantically turned around, making a poor attempt to cover up what you two were starting to discuss. While Lightning was distracted in a conversation with Serah, you looked at what she was wearing. It was like she was torn between how civilians and military officials dress. She wore a light green cargo jacket, sleeves rolled up, over a white v-neck tucked into cargo shorts that matched her coat. She wore sandals because wearing boots while you live in a place mostly comprised of sand is not exactly the smartest of ideas.
"Right, Y/n?" Hearing your name being brought up snapped you back to the conversation. It's true what you saw in movies; being "in the zone" means you tend to phase out everything else in your environment. You assessed the situation as Serah and Lightning looked at you, expecting an answer. The older sister had a look of "Can we get going now" while Serah was hoping you'd agree with her. You responded the best way you could.
"Huh?" You replied.
"You weren't even paying attention...." Serah lowered her head in defeat as Lightning walked past you, gently grabbing your wrist and nudging you along to start this date. Or at least, in your mind, you thought it was a date. Along with a confession that you like her, there was something else you had to talk about with her.
You knew how to play it cool, to make it seem like nothing's off. During the walk from her house to the sandwich shop, Lebreau's was off the table since she didn't seem the type to imbibe. It was silent between the two of you. Not even attempts to make the "so this weather" small talk. If you were honest, you would prefer she didn't try that. Her silently walking side-by-side with you is more than enough. You had offered to pay for her food since this was supposed to coincide with her birthday gift, but she politely turned you down and paid it herself before you could retort.
The two of you sat on the edge of a dock leading to the waters, enjoying each other's company, even if neither of you had spoken a word to the other.
"How is it?" You uttered the first sentence spoken between the two of you. "I never had that before."
"It's good." She replied. "You should've shown me that place before. Would've saved me a few nights ago."
"Oh, so between you and Serah, you cook?"
"We both do. We alternate."
The conversation died as quickly as it started as the two of you kept eating as the waves lapped both of your ankles.
"What's your opinion of Snow?" She asked you out of the blue.
You tapped the bread of your sandwich on your chin in thought and took a sip of your drink before you responded.
"Never met a more dependable guy." You replied. "He's a bit of a meat-headed toad but always open."
She gave an acknowledging "hmm" to your answer, so you decided to probe her for why she was asking.
"You don't approve?" What you meant was Serah and Snow's relationship.
"I just don't want her running off with some guy only to get hurt later." She confessed.
"Certainly wasn't gonna get an honest answer out of his friends—"
"—So you asked me." You finished her thought. "With Snow, he's kind of simple. With him, it's not necessarily a bad thing. How you see him is how he is all the time."
"Then I wish he could learn to quiet down."
You couldn't help but laugh at Lightning's response. "Oh, you WANT him to be someone he's not?"
"With how he acts around Serah, it won't be long until someone asks the other the question."
Lightning comes clean about why she is asking what you think of Snow. You could understand where she's coming from. You get the sense that somewhere deep down, Lightning is ecstatic, in her way, that Serah is getting married. However, it's not enough to counter her dread that she might be with someone using her.
You gently grabbed her hand as she turned slightly to face you.
"If Snow is untrustworthy, I'll kick his ass enough for you, me, and Serah."
That comment from you got a reaction out of Lightning you thought long gone, laughing. Not a chuckle, but a genuine laugh.
"You promise?" She joked.
Deciding to go along, you held out your pinky between the two. "Pinky promise."
"A pinky promise? You must be serious then."
She wrapped her pinky around yours. The two of you continued to look deeply into each other's eyes. You were not content with the pinky promise and wanted to seal it with something more sincere. Mustering up your courage, you leaned forward and kissed her lips. A kiss was all you managed before the both of you recoiled from shock. What followed was incoherent babbling from both you and Lightning. You were apologizing for suddenly kissing her while she was apologizing for not being ready for that kiss.
"Ok, that one didn't count!" You shouted to cover up your embarrassment. In a much calmer voice, you said loud enough for only the two of you to hear, "How about we redo it?"Lightning seemed to agree by closing her eyes and leaning her head forward, asking you to be the one to initiate it. So, you acquiesced. The kiss was a hybrid between awkward and passionate. Neither of you was the romantic sort, so in terms of visual description; both of your noses collided, and you held it for long enough to be out of breath. However, there was a sweet spot where you thought, "Is this what love feels like?" Where your sense of time seemed to stop as you enjoyed this moment between you and Claire. When the two of you separated, you seemed to want to say something. However, a hidden third party had something to say as well.
"YES!" A male voice screamed out in pure catharsis.
You and Lightning both went red from the sheer embarrassment that someone was watching you two kiss. You quickly turned to face the source of the voice and saw Snow jumping with glee like a schoolgirl.
"Snow?" Both of you said in unison. You confusedly said his name, thinking about how long he had been standing there. Lightning's voice was filled with righteous fury that he could ruin her moment.
"Snow!" Another voice said, coming from Serah as she emerged from her hiding place. "We were supposed to be quiet!"
"Oh..." Snow scratched behind his head out of embarrassment.
"You...BASTARD!" Lightning shouted as she ran at Snow, possibly intending to kill him. Snow, fearing for his life, started to run away.
"Look, Light; this one is on me! I'm sorry!" Snow tried to bargain for mercy as he tried his hardest to distance himself from Lightning.
"There's no getting out of this one!" Lightning shouted at him as she slowly gained on him.
The two ran off, and Snow's distant screams could be heard as their bodies disappeared. You and Serah could not help but feel some second-hand embarrassment.

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Author's note


...remember how I said this would be uploaded soon? Back in February/March? I'm a damn liar XD

Truth be told, I just got sidetracked. I did not want to end my last (knock on wood) year of college and NOT post anything. Didn't feel right to me that you guys went a whole school year and I didn't post anything during that time (I think I haven't anyway). So here I am, finishing up (and deleting 1000 words worth from the draft because it didn't flow right and felt forced) this fic before the day I move out of my dorm. Anyway, enough about my personal life. Onto my thoughts when writing the fic

I have to confess; I am probably one of the few people that like the 13 trilogy. I understand that there are problems with the trilogy (aside from LR, but that's because I haven't played/seen anything of it and I'd like for it to remain until I play it myself) but no FF game is not without something I don't like. With 16 on the way, I am of the opinion that the criticism of "this isn't a real FF game" doesn't apply because FF changes all the time and loves to try new things, even if those things never stick like...every FF game. Only things that seem to stick is the ATB, or action game. No FF specific feature (Crystarium from 13, Gambits from 12, Junctions from 8, the way to level up from 2) has ever made a return (to my knowledge).

I think its kinda funny that Lightning was beautiful enough to be a Louis Vuitton model. And her and Snow be in a commercial for a car.

So I thought about making a 13 series, but I'd need to let the thought mature a bit as I play through the rest of the trilogy. If I were to start this idea, instead of writing a prologue, I was going to instead make this the intro chapter and leave it at that. But as I was writing it, it felt...disjointed? I don't know if that's the correct term but it didn't sit right with me and so...I spend months on the section to finish it...only to end up deleting it at the finish line. Oh well, I'd rather have it end on (what I think) is a good note and leave it at that.

You've reached the end of published parts.

⏰ Last updated: May 12, 2023 ⏰

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