Looking back on my life I can't help but wonder when was the first time I ever felt happy… and of course I remember you, and the first time we met…

A five year old girl with long pink hair ran gleefully through a field of flowers. Her hair, tied in pigtails, flapped behind her head as she ran from her father, a tall man with equally pink hair and matching blue eyes. They were both laughing, having a good time in the cool Bodhum spring.

"Claire." Her father laughed as his daughter, dressed in only the cutest light pink sundress, dove into the flowers which were already taller than she was. "I can't see you dear." He looked around the tall dandelions, knowing that his daughter had turned their frolic through the flowers into a game of hide and seek.

Claire, meanwhile, had found a hole in the ground to hide in, holding a hand over her mouth so she wouldn't giggle and give away her location, she started to climb down, and tripped coming to a landing on something soft..

"Ow…" Claire blinked and looked down at what she had landed on. She had been in such a hurry to hide that she hadn't realized silver haired five year old was already hiding in the hole, and was now being sat on by Claire.

"Sorry!" She whispered softly as she got off him. "Are you okay?" The boy smiled and sat across from her in the hole.

"Yep." He smiled a toothy grin, one of his front teeth missing having recently fallen out. "It takes more than that to crush me." Claire tilted her head to the side and looked at him closely.

He was wearing dirt stained shoes and green pants. A yellow shirt with an orange jacket, and bellow his neck laid a lightning bolt pendant.

The boy squirmed a little bit under the intense scrutiny of Claire's cerulean eyes. Though even if her look was intense he couldn't help but be captivated by those eyes. They seemed to look through him, as though plumbing the depths of his soul for something hidden, he decided that her eyes were...

"Hey you eyes are pretty." He said in that way all children say things, simply, honestly and without caring how it was taken.

"You's to!" Claire smiled, looking to the soft, kind, green eyes of the boy. "I've never seen eyes like that before. Most people here have brown or blue eyes, but you're the first to ever, ever, have green eyes!"

The two laughed quietly. It was one of those instant bonds that young children seem to form. Without the prejudice or scars of life they trusted everything, and everyone, easily and without doubt.

"Hey why are you hiding here?" Claire tilted her head to the side and asked the boy. He grinned sheepishly, putting a hand behind his head and looking down slightly.

"My mommy and daddy were arguing." He said softly, pained. "And I… I kind of didn't want to hear it so I ran." Claire frowned as she heard the sadness and heartbreak in his voice. With a solemn look she grabbed his hand and pulled him into a strong, warm, hug.

"It's okay." She said gently, trying to comfort her new found friend. "Everyone argues. Even our parents. You just have to be strong and wait, okay?" She released the boy and smiled down at him.

The boy blinked once as he looked up at Claire. It had been a long time since someone hugged him… he had almost forgotten how nice it felt.

"Why?" He asked curiously.

"Because you love them silly." Claire reached out and flicked him between the eyes, gently. "And as long as you love someone you should try your bestest for them."

"Y-you think so?" The boy asked, rubbing his forehead gingerly.

"I know so." Claire smirked and put a thumb to her chest for emphasis. The boy nodded and opened his mouth to say something when…

"Hope!" A worried female voice shouted.

"Where are you son?" Followed by an equally worried, and slightly panicked, male voice.

"That's my mommy and daddy." The boy exclaimed, mouth agape slightly.

"Your names Hope?" Claire asked as she stood up.

"Yeah." He smiled again, Claire liked that carefree, hopeful, smile that he seemed to wear so easily.

"I'm Claire." She extended a pinky towards him. "Let's make a promise."

"What kind of promise?" Hope locked pinkies as he stood up, he was an inch shorter then her.

"We're going to meet again Hope." Claire said. "We'll meet again real soon, promise?" Hope's eyes gleamed.

"I promise!"

Hope left and Claire followed. She watched him run off towards his worried parents. The wind brought his nice, kind, voice to her ears. Hope sounded really happy.

"Did you make a new friend?" Claire's father asked, kneeling down next to his daughter. Claire turned towards him with and hugged him about the side.

"Yep!" She said excitedly, father hugging her back. "His names Hope." Claire looked up into her dad's blue eyes. "We're going to meet again real soon, we promised! And we'll be great friends…" The man laughed brought his daughter up into his arms.

"I'm glad you made a friend." He said while carrying her. "I have a feeling you two will be quite the pair…"

It's still one of my favorite memories. You were so kind and trusting back then. You know I still find it hard to believe that we met up again. We were seven then, we thought we knew everything. Like any seven year old could know how the world worked…

Claire was wearing loose swim shorts and one of her dad's T-shirts, tied in the back so it wouldn't fall to the ground and trip her. Her hair was tied back in a pigtail, much to Claire's annoyance.

However Claire's annoyance always faded when she looked at the one that had done 'this' to her. Beside Claire skipped her four year old sister, Serah. Serah wore purple swim shorts and pink shirt with yellow polka dots. Her hair was tied to mach her sisters, which made them like almost like twins except for the obvious height difference, with Claire being taller.

"Come on!" Serah squealed as she ran towards the evening's approaching surf. "Let's play in the water!"

Claire cast glances around the area, looking for anyone who would dare threaten her sister. After all her dad had charged Claire with keeping Serah safe, and even at such a young age Claire valued Serah's life over everything.

"Coming." Claire said after a moment, right after she was sure they were alone on the beach.

Serah beat her sister to the water. The energetic four years old charged the incoming tide with reckless abandon, giggling like a maniac when it pushed her back unto the beach.

Claire watched and sat at the edge of the tides reach. Honestly Claire had more fun seeing Serah have fun then she did participating in her sister's childish games. The fact that Claire herself was a child, with her own childish games, never crossed her mind. Instead when she was with her sister Claire settled into a defensive older sister mode, almost acting like an adult.

"This is fun!"Serah shouted as the foamy water washed up to shore next to Claire.

"I guess it is." Claire smiled down at Serah and patted her sister on the head. "But don't you get tired?"

"Nope! " And with that Serah was back in the waves shouting happily.

Claire shook her head, wondering where her sister got such endless energy, and laid back against the soft sand. Her eyes stared up at the sky, which was bathed in golden yellow and deep purple hues. Claire smiled up at the pretty sky, the stars were one of her favorite things to look at when night fell.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Claire jumped as a voice spoke from beside her.

She looked at who the voice belonged to and smiled. It was Hope. His hair was a little longer and he had a bruise on his cheek. But it was him with the green eyes and lightning necklace.

"Hope!" Claire's face brightened up and she tackled him where he sat. "Is that you?" She asked from above Hope, who was pinned beneath her.

"Yeah." He smirked up at her, all his teeth where their this time. "Claire is that you?"

"Yeah!" And she hugged him. "See? I knew we'd meet again."

"I know." He said happily.

"Are your mommy and daddy getting along?" Claire's fell into a semi serious look as she still hugged him tightly.

"Kinda." The boy said sadly. "They don't yell, but mommy looks so sad when she looks at me…" Hope looked away, hurt shining in his green orbs. "I think I did something that made her sad…" Claire touched her forehead to his, forcing the silver haired blonds wise eyes to look up into her honest, knowing, eyes.

"I don't think you could do anything to make your mommy sad." She said earnestly.

"Why?" Hope asked doubtfully.

"Because when I see you I'm always happy!" Claire exclaimed as she got up to her knees over Hope, looking down at him.

"Really?" Hope looked amazed as Claire nodded.

"Yep! I'm always so happy when you're around." Claire put her fists on her hips and grinned cockily down at Hope. "And just ask my daddy, it's really hard to make me happy."

The two just smiled at each other a moment. A moment which was interrupted as Serah gaped at her older sister.

"Claire, is that your boyfriend?" Serah asked amazed as she stared at her sister, who was still over Hope.

"Ew!" The pair exclaimed at the same time, both blushing as the separated.

"Girls are gross." Hope said, sticking out his tongue for emphasis.

"Nuh uh, guys are the ones that are gross." Claire stated.

"It's okay." Sera smiled a toothy grin. "You're both gross!"

"Hey!"

I don't remember what happened next. I think we laughed, maybe we argued a little bit. I do remember your mother, with her hair that's so much like yours, running up to us and playing. You were right though, there was a sad look in her eyes. But it wasn't your fault, things just happen.

You never said much about it, but I know your parents were having problems. You lived down in Bodhum with your mother, right down the street from me. Man, the next three years were a blast, I don't think I could have made a better friend.

I never got to thank you… My mom died four years later, and you missed the funeral completely. I thought you hated me as I stayed by her grave all night. But it turns out you and me; we were the people who loved her the most…

Claire, now thirteen, was wearing the simple black dress her father had given her to wear to the funeral. Perhaps made isn't the right word. Claire felt so numb and dead inside that she if someone had told her to jump off a building she probably would have without a second thought.

She could best describe it as a hole being ripped out of her chest. Like someone had wrapped his hand around her heart and tore it from her body. The pain was so intense she was merely numb to everything around her.

She could barely remember the priest speaking, saying a blessing for the departed. Or the eulogy, telling everyone there of what Claire's mother had accomplished. She barely remembered the people coming up to her and wishing her well, telling her it would be okay.

She did remember as the casket was lowered into the ground. It was at that moment when her heart exploded. She had tried to get at the casket, begging them not to bury her mother in a fit of sobs and the bark of a grief cracked voice.

She remembered seeing the dirt thrown down into the hole. Remembered her father telling her to be strong, that he too would someday be buried and she would have to lead the family. Claire only cried harder, Serah trying to calm her sister down.

Claire wasn't sure what happened, but she found herself alone by the grave. She vaguely remember her father sighing and picking Serah as everyone left, telling Serah that Claire just had to deal with this herself.. And his voice.

It was cold.. Claire looked absently at the grave stone.

It said something nice about her mother, etched n black on the silver stone. But with her tear blurred eyes she could barely tell the gravestone apart from the dirt it stood in.

Slowly, lethargically, she fell to her knees. Her eyes, a dead blue, stared at the tombstone. The seemed to plead, begging whoever was there to bring her mother back. Or to at least take her as well.

She blinked once as a white color seemed to float in front of the grave stone. Her eyes couldn't focus through the moisture that poured from them. But a single white thing was slowly laid down in front of the tombstone; a human shape wearing white approached her.

"Claire.." Hope's voice... she recognized his voice.. Recognized that she hadn't heard it through the entire funeral, he hadn't been there when she needed him most..

"Just go." Claire ducked her head, voice a half sob half plead. "I don't need you.. You weren't here when it happened… so just, just go."

Hope could see a pair of knees fall to the ground in front of her own, her soft skin touching the smooth brown fabric that covered his legs. She was about to glare up at Hope, swing a punch at him, when she felt his arms wrap around her shoulders and pull her into his chest.

For a moment Claire was going to push him away. Push him away and tell him she hated him and never wanted to see him again..

"It's alright." But. "I'm here now, I'm not going to let you go through this alone." As the soft cadence of Hope's voice washed over her ears she couldn't move. "I promise I'll always be here for you, no matter what." It was like she was paralyzed, frozen in time, as his words shattered the fragile barriers that held the pain back..

Claire's arms grabbed Hope harshly around the waist, fingers digging into his white shirt and the skin beneath, as her head buried itself in her shoulders. As the sobs came, unhindered by anything, from her throat his arms gently made circles in her back.

"It's going to be alright." The first drop of water fell unto their shoulders. "You're going to be okay." The second and the third as the sky seemed ready to cry for Claire's loss. "I know you hurt right now, but you will be okay." Heaven's dams broke, water started to pour from the sky in a cleansing stream, the clouds white. "You're my best friend, I'll make everything okay…"

"How can you say that?" Blue eyes, desperate for the truth, looked up into kind, wise, green. "How can anything be okay ever again?"

"Because.." He smiled slowly, sadly, and pressed his lips to her forehead. "I know you. And you're stronger then you'll ever give yourself credit for.." His arms let her go for a moment, as she stared up at him dumbfounded.

Claire was silent for a moment, not sure what we should say or feel or do. But as she felt a necklaces chain wrap around her neck she couldn't help but to keep staring at him, at his green eyes and white hair.

"This was my moms." Hope said as the finished putting his lightning pendant around Claire's neck. "It's my promise to you, that no matter what happens we're together.."

It was at that moment the sky sobbed, a flash of white lightning striking the ground behind Hope..

That was the moment I took the name Lightning. You thought it was cute, you said as much as you held me until the break of dawn. I told you to shut up or I'd clock you.. Heh, funny how I miss those times, how they all came to a sudden end..

It was barely a year later.. We hung out every day. I practically lived with you, you're dad gave me my own bedroom and everything. Somehow I wound up part of your household as my dad distanced himself from everything. Looking back that was the happiest time of my life, those are the days I wish I could get back.. But even the happy things come to an end eventually..

Lightning fidgeted nervously in the hospitals waiting room. She had been trying not to cry for almost an hour, but as she rubbed her eyes she found out she hadn't been as successful as she had hoped. There was the slightest moisture there, coating her fingers in a salty embrace.

Her hand fell like a raindrop from her face and to her lap. It made a dull sound as it hit her other hand, eyes dropping like a bomb to the floor.

Everything sounded so loudly quiet in her ears. The rushing of paramedics and the shout of doctors no louder than a feather dropping to a floor made of pillows. The ambulances siren a single pluck of the harp, seeming to pierce her heart.

She wasn't sure what had happened. It was a blur from sitting beside Hope in the car, on the way to some kind of pastry store, to the crash.

She could still hear the sound of metal being peeled apart like paper in the back of her mind. See the sleek red sports car, going too fast, smash into Hope's side of the car.

It was a red filled blur as the driver's side of the car buckled like a desk hit with a sledgehammer. Metal splinters flying in all directions, red splashing across the car with them.

Claire didn't really remember the ambulance arrive almost ten minutes later, didn't remember being pulled into the vehicle as they checked her body for injury's, which she didn't have. No, what she remembered was Hope dragging her stunned body out of the car and collapsing in her arms, blood pouring down his face and dripping down unto her face and white vest.

And now she was sitting here, waiting for someone to say something about what was happening. Was Hope alive? What about his mother Nora? She was driving, was she alive?

Lightning wanted to sink into herself as she shakingly pulled her knees to her chest. The world seemed to close in around her as the most important person in her life was possibly fighting for his life.. Or dead.

Shut up, shut up, shut up. Her mind repeated like a broken record as images of a gravestone with Hope's name on it filled her mind, and she was kneeling at his grave trying to dig down to hi…

"Claire Farron?" Lightning's head snapped up at the sound of the doctor's voice.

His smocks were sullied with blood, his shoulders sagged and his earthy brown hair poked out from under the sanitary cap on his head.

"Y-yeah…" Lightning said slowly, trying not to sob. If the doctor looked like this she could only imagine what happened to Hope..

"The boy you came here with, he's alive." The doctor said, already turning to leave. "I'll have a nurse take you to his room…"

"W-what about his mom?" Lightning swallowed hard, a sinking feeling taking her heart from her chest and down into the painful acid of her stomach.

"She's in a coma." The doctor glanced back at her, brown looking sympathetic. "We don't expect her to recover…"

I still don't remember how I got to your room. Honestly it's all either a blur or missing from my memory completely now.. All I really remember clearly is sitting next to you. Your father would come in worriedly look at you, occasionally looking into my eyes.. And I saw blame in them. In his heart he blamed me for this.. Like it was all my fault somehow.

I couldn't blame him.. We were going out to get a treat because my team won a soccer match, making us the top team in our league. It was all my fault, all my fault. And maybe I thought when you woke up you would hate me, blame me. I hoped you would forgive me when you woke up, be understanding… Maker I wish anything had happened except what did..

The sunlight came into your room in a hazy way as dawn slowly broke. Lightning looked out the window at the beautiful scenery. Bodhum's beaches were gorgeous, with the light filtering down almost lazily to them, reflecting off the water and sand in the oddest way.

Lightning had always thought the dawn was the nicest time of the day. It was when darkness and light danced together over the sky and the land. Until the darkness took its rest, leaving the world to the lights warm caress, until the night where they would dance again.

"Ngh." However as Hope groaned her eye's tore from the dancing world and to Hope's barely breathing form.

"Hope.." Lightning said in a breathless gasp as she ran to the side of his bed. "You're alright." The biggest smile crept its way unto her face, as pink hair fell around her head.

"Yeah.." Hope looked up at her, his eyes misted and face unreadable.

Lightning stared down into his eyes, looking for the wisdom and love she knew. His misted green eyes stared back up at her, seeming to slowly scan her face. He was trying to discern something, as though he was seeing her for the first ti…

"Who are you?" That sentence rang like a gun shot.

Lightning stared down at Hope, still smiling, as those words took root in her mind. Her hair fell in her eyes, obscuring them from his vision. Her lips twitched oddly and she drew in a low, sharp breath.

"N-no one.." Lightning swallowed as she unconsciously backed away from him. "J-just.. Wrong room. Sorry to b-bother you…"

"Wait.." Hope started to say, even getting up, but he was too late. Lightning ran from the room, Hope could see a tears streaming from her eyes as she disappeared. "I didn't even get her name…" Hope stared after her, feeling like something important had just slipped from his grasp..

Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome combined with a severe concussion made him forget about me. The best times of my life were gone, my best friend.. The boy I was in love with, forever lost to me. My world ended that day.

I was too weak to protect you. That was two years ago to this day..

I pulled thick, black, biker boots over my socks. Metal shin guard being tied around my right shin, pressing the black fabric of my pants to my body.

I'm stronger now.

I pulled a black long sleeved shirt over my flat, gauze wrapped, chest. The cool fabric of my new school uniform felt comfortably warm around my cold blooded skin.

Today I'm going to the Fal'Cie Academy, the school my father runs.

I brushed my short pink hair, cursing the stubborn strands that seemed to always fall in my face in a spiky way.

Fal'Cie, the all male island academy. It's raised the world's strongest soldiers, smartest tacticians and most influential politicians.

As I walked from my dark bathroom I pulled my white vest off my dresser and slung it around my shoulders and on to my thin body. I stop to look in the mirror, leaving my vest open in front.

I look like a feminine guy. From my strong chin to seemingly flat physique. I gently touch my abs, no I may not look it but there is definite muscle mass there.

My dad made a bet with me. If I could pass as a male student he'd let me join. I never understood dad, I can't find a reason for him to do that. He doesn't gain anything if I win or lose.. I don't know, and I don't care.

I reach up to the silver chain around my neck. Gently I pull my most sacred possession from its place under my shirt. The lightning pendant came from my shirt color with a gentle tug and came to rest against my chest, gleaming brightly in the last rays of dawn.

I'm finally going to be strong.. For you Hope. Today I'm going to become strong for you…

Heh. Looking back on it all I can say is that life has a sense of humor.. And sometimes things turn out in ways we never expected them to…

(A/N)

...I should probably put something here shouldn't I? Life's been strange this year, I've barely had time to write in the last three, four, months. With college prep, suicidal friends and a generally depressed mood I just haven't been able to write much. Sorry to those who know me here, but I'm back now. I don't have as much free time to write as I used to, but everything will come to fruition. I don't start something and not finish, but right now I need to start something and get my creative ability flexed. I hope to get published in the next year or two (fingers crossed) so I need the practice… It's my goal in life to be a published author.. so it's what I'm going to try and do this year.

I liked how this chapter came out. The first half was written shortly before my hiatus, the rest was written about.. an hour ago actually. I hope you can see the difference in skill from the first and second halves, now the only thing I can't decide is should I write the rest of it third or first person.. And on a side note, I'm sorry about the summary, I suck at summary's. If anyone has a better summary inbox me, or drop it in a review, and I'll see if it'll work.

I'll probably have another chapter in a day or two, I'm kinda staying up extra late because I've been talking to this girl.. heh, I know I'm hopeless… but I like talking to her, she makes me feel like maybe my life is going to be alright… it's be a long time since I felt that.

Look at me, rambling about my life.. well I hope you at least enjoyed the story, I like writing this. It'll develop pretty nice over the next couple chapters, I think it'll be a favorite of mine..

Disclaimer:
Nope… don't own it. And I've found when you almost kill of the original characters in every story you write their less inclined to even talk about ownership of it with you =_= But fear not, I have always have a plan. Until next time.

Oh and if anyone has a request for something they want written drop me an inbox, I pretty much only write HopexLight and a little hopexfang. So if you have an idea and want a writer give me a buzz, just be prepared to work with me on it since if you don't I'll never get done...

Laters
Selrahc