Reclaiming Light Cut Content

The GC Memorial


The GC Memorial was cut only because I wasn't sure where I was going with the story and the time constraints. GC Memorial took place after chapter 35 of Fang's Poem and right before Lightning gets terminated at her job in the Guardian Corps. It was a reflecting chapter where Lightning reflects on her life and feels like she was always in her parents' shadows. Fang, however, notices the unclarity in the soldier as she still feels bad for everything that happened previously. However, this chapter brought forth a small bit of clarity and an ending to some of Lightning's internal struggles.


Lightning Farron entered Aerith's Floral shop as the brunette greeted the soldier with a small smile. "Welcome; if you need help with anything, please let me know," Aerith greeted.

Lightning gave her a small nod of acknowledgment as she looked at the different types of flowers and scanned through the different arrangements. "I'm going to need a set of pink roses and a set of orange lilies."

"Alright," Aerith said softly as she looked outside, noticing the dark clouds rolling across the sky. "It looks like it's going to pour."

"Most likely," Lightning replied, looking at Aerith as she heard her phone go off in her uniform pocket and sighed softly. Taking a second to excuse herself, she answered the phone.

"Sunshine!" Fang's voice rang through the phone as the pinkette smiled at the nickname, "I was wondering where you are; I'm surprised you didn't come home yet. Serah is going to be making dinner, and 'Nille's been asking where you've been."

"Well, I'm doing something right now," Lightning sighed and listened as she heard Fang shuffling around and a metal pan hit the ground, followed by a loud string of curses from Serah in the background.

"Please tell me she's not bending and hurting herself," Lightning sighed, furrowing her brow as she heard Vanille in the background too.

Fang sighed, "Well, Serah's fine, Vanille, not so much!"

"Clearly," Lightning replied flatly, with a sigh, "The kitchen better be clean by the time I get home."

"Where are you going, Sunshine?" Fang asked.

"Well, Nosey, I'm going to Bodhum Cemetery; it's a closed invitation, though."

"You need me for support?" Fang asked as she heard the soldier hum slightly.

"If you want, it won't really be that eventful," Lightning admits as Fang heard her get into her car with another person's voice that belonged to Hope Estheim. "Patrol is finished, Amodar, we're coming to report in; Bodhum was quiet s-sir!"

Lightning sighed, "Hope you're stammering again. Fang, meet me at headquarters." Taking a second, the soldier hung up on her girlfriend, who was probably wondering what just happened. However, she was just glad to be done with her patrol.

A sweep of the city only confirmed there was nothing suspicious, even though Lightning had doubts. Part of her wondered if people were planning behind closed doors, or at least in hiding places. Lately, she felt like things were overwhelming, and she was balancing the entire world on her shoulders, but Lightning just listened to Hope as he went over his report of his section of the city as she kept her eyes on the road ahead. Ever since the transgate malfunction, Lightning always kept an icy watch over the road ahead just in case some unknown creature still lose in the city.

Soon, she pulled into the parking lot reaching behind, and grabbed her precious gunblade from the back seat. Hope was out after her, grabbing his boomerang kit as the two walked into the headquarters building. A soldier at the front desk nodded as the two entered through the metal detectors without taking the elevator up.

Amodar was just pleased that everything was going well from their patrol. Lightning dismissed Hope and her team before finally starting to the locker room, where she had kept her stuff, and grabbed her duffle bag.

Taking a second, she started the hot water to run a shower. Discarding her uniform, she hung it neatly in its bag before grabbing her towel, shampoo, washrag, and soap from her bag. Getting in the heated water, Lightning stood, letting the heated drops splash onto her body as she took a second, placing a hand on the wall for support, just letting the hot water spill onto her aching body and muscles that twitched ever so slightly.

Lightning took a while to shower and get ready, as she pulled on a pair of black slacks, a pair of heels, and a nice white cami-shirt under her black blazer. After fixing her hair, Lightning looked in the mirror and looked into her blue eyes, noticing they looked sleep-deprived as she did her make-up, before finally going down the stairs noticing Fang standing in the lobby talking to the man at the front desk.

Carrying her stuff down with the flowers that she had left in her office, Lightning clicked across the floor and went to Fang, who greeted her with a quick hug, and a small peck on the lips as the two were out of headquarters and back to her car. However, as Lightning looked up at the dark clouds rolling across the sky, the sky looked dark.

"Let's make this quick; I suspect you let Serah and Vanille handle cleaning the kitchen?" Lightning asked.

"Well, Serah accidentally dropped a glass pan, and it shattered. We cleaned up the glass, but Vanille and Serah are just ordering pizza for tonight instead. So, we can go out to our restaurant tonight if you wanted?" Fang asked.

"Pizza's good," Lightning said as Fang nods, "We can go on our date night another night. Might not be feeling up to it later."

Fang got on her motorcycle as Lightning entered her car, "I'll meet you at the cemetery." Fang said as Lightning heard her revved her engine before Fang pulled out of the parking lot as Lightning drove after her. It wasn't far from Headquarters, and soon they pulled to the metal gate as she hit the button, punching in the code as the gate swung open before both Fang and Lightning's vehicles pulled into the cemetery as Lightning drove her car to where Caspian and Rosa were laid to rest.

After Lightning shut her car, she took a second and started walking towards Fang, who dismounted from her motorcycle. Fang offered her a hand, as the soldier took it with

Lightning hated coming to Bodhum Cemetery. It wasn't that she was afraid, nor was it that she was nervous, but she always felt like she was a worthless daughter when she came. As Fang and Lightning walked towards the two headstones, Lightning took a second to kneel in respect. Giving a quick prayer to Etro, she changed the old flowers on both as she looked at the gravestone inscriptions.


Captain Caspian Edwards Farron

Father, Husband, Friend

Duty, Honor, Country. Well done, be thou at peace

955BF-1AF


Rosa Bea Farron

Mother, Wife, Friend

Beautiful angel, beautiful rose; An angel visited the green earth and took a flower away

958BF-1AF


Lightning stayed kneeling and looked at the headstones, not saying a word. Fang knelt beside her as she heard the sound of thunder rolling overhead; it was going to storm.

"Sunshine?" Fang was quick to ask, but the soldier didn't look her way.

"I'm concentrating," Lightning murmured as she looked at the tombstones without saying another word.

'Mom, Dad. I know I don't come to visit as much,' Lightning sighed, 'I think that my life is a mess right now; Serah's too. I've been through so much from my adventures following your path Dad. I'm a soldier, a Sergeant, and I don't even feel right about it. Part of me wonders how long I'll last as a soldier, and you weren't that old, and yet I lost you way too soon. I remember that perky girl who ran track and field and showed no fear. You taught me to be fearless, and yet... I'm fearful.'

Fang concentrated on the sky above, bringing herself to a sitting position, "You've been quiet."

Lightning shot Fang a look before looking back at the headstones. 'Dad, I'm sorry I never told you how much I loved you. I'm sorry I failed our family name. I nearly destroyed myself and failed when raising Serah. Now, she's pregnant with a child, and you would've raised hell at my sister. At this point, I let it go. Maybe I'm changing from a stone-cold soldier to a protective, loving, and supportive sister once more.'

Fang didn't say a word as she felt a drop of rain along the back of her hand. The wet drip only made her look up at the darkened clouds above.

'I'm sorry I don't visit or take care of your graves. For the longest time, I couldn't face you guys. I'm sorry I was never strong enough to do so. I would make excuses so Serah would come here alone or with her boyfriend Snow. You would've liked Snow, probably. Mom, I'm sorry Serah ended up with someone I thought was undesirable. He's working hard to make nice with his promise. He may have gotten Serah pregnant, but he's working hard to write the wrongs, for Serah's sake and mine. After all, you were the one who married Dad, and he was just like Snow.' Lightning chuckled slightly to herself.

Fang gently placed a hand on Lightning's shoulder, "It's gonna rain Sunshine. At least tell your goodbyes, and we can come back when it's nicer out."

Lightning shook her head, "I'm almost done, Fang."

Fang sighed, "Well, I was thinking we were gonna stay dry, but I suppose wet is fine too."

'Mom, I know you know, but Dad, you didn't... I'm a lesbian. The woman with me is my girlfriend, Oerba Yun Fang. She is one of the last surviving Yuns of the Yun tribe. Her father was your friend; her mother was mom's friend. And I have loved her very much.'

Fang looked at Lightning's parents' gravestones and sighed softly. 'Dad, Mom... I know the Farrons were close to you but think of my relationship to their eldest daughter as another peaceful gesture to the family name. Give me the strength and the ability to ask Light to marry me, and at least give me the blessing. You guys may be gone, but give Rowan and Zelda that answer instead.'

Lightning sighed, 'I have been with Fang through many things. I nearly arrested her; I went camping with her, I shared secrets with her, one of which is I have your eidolon, Dad... Odin is part of me. I even found your friends Zelda and Rowan with her, and we've been investigating your deaths. I don't feel safe, but I can't let Fang know that. I'm not worthy of your titles, nor am I worthy of the badge or your gunblade, but I continue fighting and protecting the people I love. I fear for my life right now, though, and yet... I'm reconsidering the Guardian Corps at times. Maybe I could be like mom, get my degree, teach. I know Serah's going to become an elementary school teacher someday, but maybe it's time I did something safer, but I'm not going to do that until I can solve your deaths. Only you two know what happened, and I'm getting closer, but I still have few tight squeezes to go. Give me that closure.'

Fang felt more raindrops falling from the sky. However, Lightning stood up as the rain started to come down in big fat drops, almost like the sky was crying. Rain often felt rejuvenating, but when it came down in a heavy downpour, the two were quick to Lightning's car as she reached for her car keys, noticing that they were locked inside the car.

"Dammit!" Lightning screamed as the rain came down heavily, soaking both through their clothes. Lightning took a second and pulled the Oerban with her to the little chapel inside the cemetery as they took shelter within.

Fang started to laugh, "At least this will be one date to remember. Let's make the most of it while we wait for "

Lightning took a second and shoved the Oerban playfully, knowing she would need to call someone to get the keys from inside her car, but in the meantime, she was glad they could take shelter in the chapel. Taking a second, Lightning went through her phone and decided to call Serah for Snow's phone number; at least he would be able to get her keys out of her car.

Fang was up and looked outside at the rain as it continued to fall in a heavy downpour and knew she didn't get a chance to throw her tarp over her motorcycle as she hoped that her red cycle would be safe without rust or she would replacing it sooner than later.

However, in the process of waiting for Snow to arrive, Fang took a step outside and twirled in the rain, looking at Lightning as she stood at the doorway and watched the Oerban. Lightning held a hand out, feeling the rain on the skin of her hand, as she watched Fang twirl. Fang rolled her eyes slightly and went towards the stairs holding out a hand for the soldier, "At least dance with me," Fang said with a mischievous smirk on her face.

Lightning looked at Fang's extended hand and took it. Fang carefully pulled Lightning outside into the rain. The two just enjoyed the downpour dancing without a care. Something about dancing with Fang in the rain brought a smile to the soldier's face.

It wasn't until Snow came that Lightning knew visiting her parents in the rain made her love Fang even more.

Fang made every situation fun, and Lightning knew she needed to bring Fang to see her parents again in the future.

It wasn't until Lightning and Fang finally got home that Serah and Vanille noticed the two soaked to the bone, and both sighed. However, they were glad to see that Lightning held herself with a smile, hand in hand with the Oerban, and there was peace in the Farron household.