In the beginning there was nothing but pure happiness. Growing up with a mother and a father who always did what's best for me and my sister. Serah always loved attention. She was a popular kid growing up. We didn't have much in common, but we were always there for each other. Serah never had to really worry about what the next day would bring.

I remember wishing that those days would never end. But something changed all that. Those were the times that I wish would never end until I revealed something that had my parents wishing I just kept to myself.

Oh, right, my name. Well that's a little more complicated. I suppose I should start with the day I graduated. I remember this day clearly. Almost as if it happened just yesterday. The day my world turned completely upside down. The day I became Lightning.

Summer Bodhum Farron Residence

"Serah! We're going to be late for graduation, let's go!"

Claire just finished getting herself ready for graduation. The time had finally come to cross the stage in front of hundreds of people. She was finally going to be free to do what she had desired to do all her life. Become a BPD Officer. She had the ability, stamina, strength; all the best qualities BPD desires.

"Claire! Give me a minute I'm almost done. Just wait in the car with mom and dad."

Claire sighed "I don't know what I'm going to do with you Serah you're always late." Claire smirked as she turned away from the bathroom door and started toward the entrance hallway.

"Ok I'll be in the car. Just hurry!"

Claire walked through the front door and made her way to the car where her parents were waiting.

It was a nice summer day. Not too hot, a small breeze in the air. The perfect day for graduation.

Claire wore a loose red button up shirt which complemented her complexion, or at least that is what Serah told her, with a pair of black slacks and black combat boots. She wore her silky smooth pink hair down on the left side of her face.

Claire sighed again and breathed in the fresh air as she continued toward the car.

"Hey graduate! Let me guess, Serah's still getting ready?" Peter Farron said

Claire grimaced "Of course. Did you expect any less from her dad? You know how long it takes her to get ready. And I am not a graduate just yet"

Peter shifted uncomfortably in his seat "Why didn't you drag her to the car? We're going to be late and we still need to run to the store." Peter said while impatiently honking the horn.

"Oh you two, just stop your bickering. I'll go grab her." Athena Farron stared back at both Peter and Claire before opening the car door and moving toward the house.

Silence fell between father and daughter almost immediately. A tense silence that has become more and more common between them ever since, one, Miss Claire Farron came out to her parents.

"So, have you decided what you want to do with yourself after Graduation Claire?"

Claire's left brow raised.

"Uhh stuff"

"What kind of 'stuff'?" Peter asked raising his eyebrow slightly.

Claire sighed; she realized she has been doing this a lot lately.

"Stuff that doesn't concern you or mom." Claire replied cautiously. She did not like the direction the conversation was heading in.

"Listen Caire, I can tell you are not in the mood to talk. I know we have our differences and you know I'm not especially happy with your lifesty-"

"I don't care what you think about my lifestyle dad! Or for that matter, what you think about me." Claire interrupted angrily knowing full well what her father would like to say. The same thing he has been saying for a while now.

Clare, finally allowing her thoughts to be verbalized, continued before she could be interrupted.

"I don't give a damn what mom thinks either. You know what I'm going to do when I finally graduate? I am going to pack my shit up and sign up to be a BPD Officer. I am going to rise in the ranks, find a hot lesbian to be with and eventually have a family of my own who doesn't hate me for who I am!" Claire just wanted to leave. She didn't want to be in this car with her father. She could feel all of the anger building.

Before she could let her anger get away from her further she heard two pairs of footsteps heading their way. Claire turned her face toward the car window, closing her eyes as she tried to slow down her breathing which had become a little erratic in part due to the adrenaline brought on by her anger. Though truth be told it may have also been because of the shouting.

At this point all Claire could think about was how close she was to reaching her goals. Her goal to start a new life away from all the hatred that has started to consume her life.

Claire was ripped from her thoughts as the car door opened and a blur in the form of her sister nearly pounced on Claire. "Claire! Sorry for taking so long, forgot where I left my camera, had to bring it along."

"Peter let's get going to the store" Athena said to her husband.

Athena was a kind mother. Claire got almost all of her looks directly from her mother. Except for her eyes. Athena's eyes are blue green compared to Claires cerulean blue eyes. Until recently, she never really expressed her feelings towards Claire's sexual orientation. Athena preferred to ignore it altogether.

Athena looked at her husband and grabbed onto his hand. She looked in the mirror at Caire a feeling of guilt sinking in, as the car drove away.

Bodhum Convenience Store

"Your mother and I will be back in a bit. It won't take long.You two stay put. I will leave the keys in the ignition in case you need the A.C." Peter said closing the door.

"Claire I...just...take care of your sister" Athena said

Claire remained silent, staring fixedly out the window, wincing slightly when she heard the car door close.

"Claire, are you ok?" Serah asked with concern in her eyes.

Claire Sighed closing her eyes once again. She smiled sadly and looked at Serah "I'm ok Serah. Why wouldn't I be, I'm graduating today remember?"

"Claire, why are you two always fighting? You two have been at it for quite some time now"

Claire smile dropped at once. Her face taking on an almost grimace as she looked down at her lap.

"Serah there are so many things in this world that you can't understand. Maybe one day i can tell you, one day I can explain it to you.."

Claire glanced up at Serah, grimacing once again as Serah face went from curious to anger faster than Claire thought humanly possible. "Claire, I know you're gay. You don't have to hide it from me. I understand and I love you no matter what. Even if you like woman with dicks or even if you're into bestiality. I don't care Claire! You are my sister, I will always love you."

Claire's eyes went wide, stunned by her sister's speech it was nothing she was expecting. Her stunned feeling soon gave way to a new emotion as she grabbed Serah by her wrist and pulled her into a hug.

"I love you Serah. You don't know how much it means to me that you accept me for who I am." Claire practically sobbed on Serah's shoulder.

"I love you too Claire, so please don't be sad today." Serah pleaded softly "Today is the moment you have been waiting for, right?" Serah smiled as Claire pulled back.

Claire smiled back. "Yeah….Right."

Claire was curious though. She never told her sister about her sexual preference and she was sure her parents didn't say a word to her. As far as they are concerned, Claire's sexuality should always remain between the three of them.

"Serah?"

"Yeah?"

"How did you know?"

"How did I know what?" Serah was smiling. She also knew that it would make Claire incredibly uncomfortable to say it; and as a little sister, how could she pass up an opportunity to mess with her older sister?

Claire was nervously picking at a loose seam on her, otherwise, lovely shirt. She inwardly groaned. She knew Serah was well aware of what she was talking about. But of course …

"How…" Clare cleared her throat "How did you know I was gay?"

Serah smiled widely.

"Do you remember the day you went for your driver's license test?"

Claire's eyebrow arched.

"Yes?" Claire answered inadvertently became a question as her curiosity and caution peaked. She was unsure as to where this conversation was going.

"Well" Serah started "I went to your room that day. I was looking for your radio so I could listen to music. You know how I like to listen to music while I study." Serah smiled in what Claire would almost describe as sinister "Anyway, I sort of maybe looked under your bed and -"

"Serah! No you didn't!" Claire choked out, her face turning bright red.

"Claire! I swear it was accident! I didn't mean to look in the shoebox, and I sure as hell was not expecting to find a stash of Girl on Girl pornos and magazines. Or for that matter, sex toys!"

"Oh for the love of … "Claire threw her face into her hands and sighed deeply. "Serah for the love of Etro don't ever go into my room without asking me in advance!"

"But Claire you weren't home what was I supposed to do? You know my radio was broken!"

"And you know better than to go into my room without permission Serah!"

"Claire I'm sorry ok I'll ask before I go into your room I swear! Trust me; it was no picnic for me either."

Claire sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Fine just ask next time ok?"

Serah relaxed her shoulders and let out a long breath she hadn't realized she was holding

"Ok" Serah agreed smiling.

Claire smiled back and pushed back some of her hair from her face. Her face turning back to an almost normal color.

"I wonder what's taking them so long; I just want to get this over with."

Suddenly Claire heard what she could only assume were shots firing in the distance. Claire quickly grabbed Serah and pulled her down with her to the bottom of the car in order to avoid any shots that may be heading their way.

Claire, motioning for Serah to stay down, slowly lifted herself up. Claire cautiously moved to the window she had just minutes ago been sulking at.

"Shit" Claire breathed out. A non-descript black van had pulled up to the convenience store while she and Serah were having a moment. Clare squinted her eyes and got a good look at the group of people who, she presumes, came with the van. They were in typical black masks, but fairly unusual armor with some sort of an insignia on their shoulders. They were wielding guns and seemed to be holding bags which most likely contained cash.

"Serah where's your camera?"

Serah reached around her neck. Grabbing her camera quickly, she gave it to Claire.

Claire, making sure the flash was off, zoomed in and started taking pictures of the armed robbers. She only managed to take a couple before they speed away in in the direction of the highway.

Claire looked down at the camera mumbling profanities at the 'stupid slow thing'. In minutes the BPD arrived with paramedics at their tail.

"Serah stay here, lock the doors and don't move." Serah nodded staying in the same position as Claire got out of the car and headed in the general direction of the paramedics. At this point a crowd had started to gather around.

She was irritated enough and these people were in the way. Claire finally managed to push her way through to the front of the crowd. Clare looked around at all the wounded. There were a lot of people being treated. More shots must have gone off than she originally realized.

She continued to scan the area and almost instantaneously her eyes fell on the people she was looking for; and just as instantaneously time seemed to stop for Claire. She caught sight of her father first then just as quickly her mother not far away. Both on stretchers. Both, from what Claire could tell, injured. They did not look good at all.

Claire broke from the crowd and ran toward them only to be quickly intercepted by the BPD.

"Sorry mam, you cannot move past this point." The BPD Officer tried moving Claire back. Claire shook herself back to reality.

"Please! Those are my parents" Claire pleaded as she pointed to both of them. "I have to be with them!"

Claire's breath hitched as she finally got a clear view of her parents as they were being loaded on the truck. They both were covered in blood. She didn't have time to get a better look as the paramedic truck door closed and quickly sped away.

"We can't let you through. Please step back. I am sorry, but this is a crime scene."

Anger, once again took over Claire's senses. She was completely oblivious to the tears that were now streaking down her face.

Gritting her teeth in order to remain calm, Claire managed to feign politeness. "Please, can you at least tell me where they are being taken?"

The Officer looked unsure and saddened by how flustered and angry Claire was. He gave in and whispered "Look we are not supposed to give any details but since you're their daughter … I can only say this. They are going to be taken to Bodhum Memorial Hospital and-"

Claire, not waiting or needing any more information, turned back around and took off pushing her way through the crowd. Most of which, seemed to wisely choose to move out of the way. Once through the crowd she took off at a dead run back to the car. Opening up the driver's side she jumped in. Not realizing Serah forgot to lock the doors.

"Claire what's wrong?"

Nothing else existed right now. Claire wasn't even fully aware that she was driving. She had no idea how she made it to Bodhum Memorial Hospital without crashing.

But here she was.

It was then that Claire realizes she was shaking. No, not shaking… being shaken… By Serah.

"Serah?" Claire looked at her sister blankly. At some point her sister had gotten into the front seat with her.

"Claire what are we doing here? Where is mom and dad? We are supposed to be at your graduation." Serah asked, getting more and more agitated with each question.

"Serah mom and dad…. they…. I …." Claire looked up at Serah, tears forming in her eyes once again. "When I went up to talk to the BPD and the paramedics they…. mom… and dad… looked like they were hurt." Claire looking down on her lap both her hands rubbing up and down her thighs.

"Claire is mom and dad going to be ok?" Serah asked, her eyes glossing over.

"I don't know" Claire laid her head on the steering wheel, tears once again clouding her vision.

Serah grabbed a hold of Claire and pulled her in as close as physically possible given the cramped space of the car and the awkward angle they were sitting in.

"Claire we gotta go in. We have to make sure they're alright." Serah gave her a not-so-Sarah like sad smile.

Claire wiped the tears on her forearm nodded and led the way out the car and toward the hospital entrance.

Bodhum Memorial Hospital Waiting Room

Sometime between the trek from the car to the hospital doors it started to downpour. The irony was not lost on Claire as she realized what started out as a great, warm day turned so so bad so so fast.

They informed the nurse of their arrival and were immediately shooed away with the promise that a doctor would come to see them as soon as possible.

Each minute that passed by felt like a weeks to Claire. She could not stay put, her anxiety kept her pacing back and forth. The coffee was not helping much for the anxiety, but it was doing wonders for her alertness. Serah, who has not quite developed the taste for coffee yet, had fallen asleep on a bench in the waiting room a while back.

A doctor Estheim has already been by to inform them that their parents were, in fact in critical condition. But that "they would do everything they could." That was the last thing they had heard from anyone about their parents.

The silence was getting to Claire. Every lap she takes, in what has now become her little track, and brings a new question to the forefront of her mind. 'Why were they at the store in the first place?' Lap 1. 'Would it have been any different if they left earlier?' Lap 2. 'Or maybe if they hadn't gone at all.' Lap 3. 'Should I have insisted we skip graduation?' Lap 4… and so the pattern went.

"Claire Farron?" A doctor with short light blonde hair, the one that had come by earlier, was in the waiting room looking at Claire. In what can only be described as carefully practiced sympathy.

"I- I'm sorry your mother and father had multiple lacerations all over their bodies along with multiple bullet wounds. With the blood loss and the trauma,... well, we did everything we could to save them. Cla- Miss Farron I'm sorry for your loss."

Guilt consumed Claire instantaneously. She was caught in between wanting to cry and throw up. Unsure of the direction she needed to take. Every piece of her mind that was still consciously aware was screaming that this was her fault. That she could have should have stopped this, prevented this, somehow.

The storm outside had intensified. A loud crash of lightning made the lights flicker in the hospital wing "Miss Farron, Claire I-"

She was starting to hate that name. It felt dirty coming out of his mouth directed at her. 'Claire Farron' felt like a taunt now. She did not want to be Claire Farron anymore, she could not be, Claire anymore.

Lightning struck again.

"It's Lightning, call me Lightning." Claire stared at her with a cold blank expression.

"Uh, Lightning I need you to sign these forms for arrangements to be made for your parents bodies."

"I am going home I don't have time for this! Send it to their lawyers!" Lightning couldn't stay there any longer she turned away from the doctor and toward her sister. Carefully picking her up, Lightning slowly made her way outside.

The rain had started to let up a bit. Or at least it seemed like it was. Sighing lightning made the long, wet journey back to the car, thankful that she had started training early for the BPD. Serah was simply not as light as she looked.

What was she going to do with both herself and Serah? Where should she start? She has no job and she most certainly won't let Serah go into the foster system.

Lightning's birthday was a week away, she would be of age. She could take on responsibility of her sister.

This also means getting a job as soon as possible. She would have to be ready to join the BPD sooner rather than later. Training and taking care of Serah has suddenly become her number one priority. Nothing else mattered. Everything has changed. Everything.

She is the provider. She will have to take care of Serah.

She looked down at her sister. As the guilt rose up in her again so did her determination.

She will have to train hard and rise through the ranks fast. Claire is gone forever.

She was now officially Lightning.