ALTERNA

Genre: AU (canon divergence), slash/yaoi, fantasy, psychological/supernatural, romance
Pairings: Noctis/Ardyn, Prompto/Ignis

Summary: The Starscourge. Now he knew how the infection truly felt like. Solheim was nothing like he once had imagined. Solheim felt like a living hell. The horrifying truth about their ancient history has turned all those memories he cherished and kept close to his heart into some kind of a grotesque, god forsaken nightmare. That's how Noctis found himself asking himself again, as he sat there all huddled up and suffering, how the bloody hell was he still alive?

Comment by author: Hey dear readers,

long time no read ^o^/. How have you all been?

This story is for practicing my third person perspective writing. Until now, I only wrote in first person perspective before. I'm a little bit nervous about this story, ha. Please, leave a comment or a private message if there are many mistakes and errors of which I should be more careful of in the future chapters.

For the new readers of my works: English is my third language. I wish to improve my language and writing skills ^_^.

Have fun reading and let me know what you think! I'd appreciate it a lot :-*!

Kamuel

P.S.: I'm looking for a beta reader for this story T_T.

Chapter One - ADVENT

...

The history of Eos was once marked by the prosperity of the civilization of Solheim. When this ancient civilization was at its peak, the betrayal of one of the six Astral gods, Ifrit, led to a conflict known as the Great War of Old. Most people were aware that this war was fueled further by the spreading of a mysterious parasite, causing the death of millions, and ultimately the fall of Solheim. But all young Noctis has ever known were fairy tale versions of that infamous part of their ancient history. Indeed, discovering all these wonderful tales of old as time as a child had been thrilling and fun. His father (blessed be his never ending patience) used to enjoy spending his precious free time telling him countless, interesting tales. And Luna... he remembered sweet Luna reading to him the entire Cosmogony myths at every given opportunity. Back in Altissia, she almost never left his side, always smiling fondly whenever he indulged in eating his favorite Tenebraen pastry while they talked endlessly about their most memorable stories. At that time Noctis learned of so many exciting adventures, full of kings and mystery and magic. Simply put, the legends of Solheim never ceased to amaze him.

But Noctis should have known better. As people usually liked to say, the devil was in the details. Solheim was nothing like he once had imagined. Solheim felt like a living hell. The horrifying truth about their ancient history has turned all those memories he cherished and kept close to his heart into some kind of grotesque, god forsaken nightmare. For one, it didn't help that there was that specific, familiar kind of stench in the air. He knew that smell; imminent death had somehow found him, ensnared and captured his soul.

A non-stopping, corroding hunger was clawing away at his insides. Several times he had to squeeze his eyes shut tight, making sure he kept himself from retching. Blinding pain slithered through each part of his body. His mind was in a haze and it became so damn hard to think. All he could feel was the unforgiving, bubbling illness as it marched forward and seeped into the marrow of his tattered bones. He could feel it relentlessly leeching out his life and knocking on his mortal door with every second that passed.

The Starscourge. Now he knew how the infection truly felt like.

That's how Noctis found himself asking himself again, as he sat there all huddled up and suffering, how the bloody hell was he still alive? Of all places to be, how in Eos' name did he end up in one of Solheim's most dangerous and highest guarded prisons? Noctis retreated further back, his shoulder bumping into a damp and filthy corner as he dared taking another searching look around him. Yes, he would recognize these prison cells anywhere. Only horrible things have happened between these sterile, metallic walls. Not only had Ignis done a good job teaching him all kinds of stuff about history, ten years ago Noctis had been privileged to see these exact same structures with his very own eyes. His weak body shuddered as he recalled those times, when he had been lost in Niflheim, all alone. That unforgettable rescuing mission at Zegnautus Keep. The gruesome things he had found there... He thought of Prompto and of how those horrid experiments and unforgivable sins were made against the free will of all people of Eos. At that time, Noctis thought that only the Empire of Niflheim had been capable of such horrors.

Now the harsh truth stared Noctis in the face. The Empire of Solheim was the first to dabble in these atrocious deeds against humanity. As he took a look around his surroundings, Noctis understood now that someone must have found him lying unconscious outside, before they brought him in. To do... what? The Astral deity Bahamut had promised to keep his own end of bargain. Excruciating pain like this shouldn't exist in the afterlife, of that much Noctis knew. Noctis was promised eternal liberty in exchange for his sacrifice. Yet here he was, all by himself and conscious in the mortal realm once more, with no recollection of how he got here in the first place.

Noctis couldn't help but feel betrayed. Hadn't he done his part? Didn't he and his people sacrifice enough already?

A sickly sounding cough next to him brought Noctis' thirty year old self back to the present. He squinted his eyes in a futile attempt to make out the fatal wounds of a younger man, who was chained to his feet and who was struggling to sit up. The man gave up and was leaning against the wall, hugging himself, his whole body shaking as he silently cried in agony. Right then, Noctis felt a fierce compassion for this man and it warmed his heart immensely. It gave him inner strength. He admired this man for holding on and for being so brave. Noctis could hear others around their cell having long since succumbed to the devouring darkness, some still alive. People there were whining, screaming and shouting gibberish. Their voices sounded all wrong to his ears — unnatural, not human. Their painful grunts reminded him so much of his last visit in Insomnia. They made him feel helpless and extremely uncomfortable. Others in their cells, however, went completely silent - a sure sign of their tragic demise.

It was obvious there wasn't much time left until the illness overtook Noctis' body and mind. He knew he needed to hurry the hell up and do everything in his power to get himself out of this hellhole. He could do this. And then he would be going back home. To him, it didn't matter where home was, as long as it would be a place free from pain and free of suffering. And then, he would fucking stay there. He so badly wished to see his beloved Luna again. He missed his parents so badly... After all the crap the Crystal had forced Noctis to go through, he deserved to find at least a little peace, didn't he?

"Hey, can you hear me?" Noctis shook the young man next to him gently on his wet and clammy shoulder to get his attention.

The stranger looked up at him, bleary-eyed from pain. "Help me... I don't want to die... please," he whispered, coughing up a small stream of black blood.

Noctis was startled by that man's close resemblance to his childhood friend Prompto, but then he shook his head firmly. He needed to stay focused on his intention to escape, he could ask questions later. "Listen, I'll get us out of here. Hold on to me as tight as you can and don't let go, no matter what happens."

The man looked unsure, but then decided to trust Noctis and he nodded his head to affirm he understood. Hopelessness and relief stood in stark contrast to the tear covered face. Once Noctis felt the tightening hold of the stranger's hands on his body, he closed his eyes and summoned all of his remaining energy. He tried to ignore the immense pain wracking his limbs and prayed earnestly, probably for the first time in his life, for a miracle to happen. He prayed for the accursed magical abilities his ancestors once endowed him with to somehow still work. Despite his reservations, they were his only solution. Quite frankly, with the royal ring forever destroyed and all of the power from the Crystal of Lucis depleted, Noctis wasn't exactly convinced that his magic abilities would ever make a comeback. He had to try. All he knew was that dying like this was not an option.

After several long moments of waiting for something to happen, he almost lost faith. But then, the air around him crackled. The eyes behind his closed lids burned hot. His skin tingled and his fingertips twitched with an all too familiar charge of power. The man holding onto him trembled and Noctis opened his eyes to check on him. "Have no fear," he soothingly whispered to his prison companion.

And then there, finally, a tiny little spark of magic appeared out of thin air, floating merrily in front of his eyes. The glowing, translucent and wispy rainbow-colored texture made Noctis holding his breath and feeling all giddy inside. He couldn't believe that his powers had answered to his prayers. More and more shards of magic appeared around them, until one final, electrifying burst of high vibratory energy gave birth to his royal weapons. His legacy had come back into the physical realm once more. Noctis had never been able to get used to that ecstatic feeling as he watched the ancient artifacts circle in an ongoing, protective dance around him. Their force reverberated through the entire prison cell and they glowed just as beautifully and awe inspiring as ever.

"W... what's happening?"

Noctis felt tears shimmering in his own eyes as he gave a soft smile to the younger man, who in turn stared at the Phantom swords with an open mouth. "This is our ticket to get us out." Noctis said softly.

His comrade seemed speechless. Deep gratefulness and stark hope shone from the man's light blue eyes and Noctis felt immensely touched by those emotions. Noctis' red glowing eyes burned with unshed tears as he took one final look at all those people who had died under such horrific conditions. His shaking arms embraced his comrade carefully and then he willed his power to detect and focus on a warp point far outside of these walls. It took only an instant for his warp ability to take over his body and Noctis got goose bumps as the amassed energy phased both of them out from physical reality.

They reappeared at the estimated location outside in the woods. Noctis had not much energy left to check if the man had also reached the grounds safely. He only knew they both were free from the shackles of Solheim's facility. Only then, Noctis allowed himself to get pulled into the irresistible oblivion his exhausted mortal body so badly craved...

...

Strange sounds woke Noctis up from his restless slumber. He blinked a few times into the semi-darkness in order to adjust his eyesight and then rubbed his tired face with one hand while pushing his upper body up with the other. He immediately regretted the movement and instantly gave up when dizziness made itself felt. Instead, he found it much safer to leave his head lying exactly in the same position where it had been before: on the soft, fluffy blanket underneath.

"... and what do you suggest we do now, your Highness?" a young, male voice whispered.

Noctis recognized the source of the male voice and relaxed a little.

"Oh my, it's evident you two can't spend the night here. Let's see..." spoke another man softly.

Noctis strained his ears to follow the conversation. Did his comrade know this stranger?

The newcomer resumed talking, his voice gentle, "The war is still ongoing and never ending. Solheim's soldiers must have crossed Tenebrae's border as we speak. I fear, they are heading this way to check on their subjects and to see if there are any survivors left. How did you two escape the research facility?"

A short period of silence followed.

"You don't want to tell me? No matter, you two are free now. I might know of a place where you would be able to safely hide away for a while. I can bring you there, it's not far from here."

While Noctis listened, he held his hands up to his face, so he could observe them more closely. And then he remembered. The bonfire illuminated his skin from the side and he stared bewildered at all the places where his open wounds should have been. No more injuries and no more severe pain. He could breathe freely again. What gives? The iron chains on his wrists have disappeared along with the terrible cuts that were infected by the old rust. He also took notice of the complete absence of the Starscourge in his body. The feeling of sickness in his stomach seemed to have receded also, leaving only a slight feeling of weakness in its wake. That fact alone was shocking. As far as he knew only an Oracle would be able to cleanse the spreading darkness by absorbing the illness entirely into herself. So... who was the one who cured him of his ailment?

He had a hunch who that person could be, so Noctis tried again to get up from his makeshift bed on the ground in order to catch a glimpse of the Crystals first elected Oracle. But the dizziness came back with full force and he groaned pitifully.

"Careful there," the newcomer said, rushing with hurried steps to Noctis' side. "Stay calm. It takes a few minutes more before your body adjusts to the potency of my healing energy. You're safe, at least for now."

"Thank you," Noctis breathed out, waiting for the dizziness to disappear. His eager eyes searched the space behind the man for the woman he was sure to meet there: Gentiana.

A slight chuckle escaped the stranger and he leaned down to catch his patient's eyes. He placed a soft and warm palm over Noctis' forehead. "You must not be from around here. Else you would know who I am. Unless, my healing abilities have muddled up your memories. How unfortunate. Such an invaluable treasure like yours, all wasted."

The instant the men's eyes were locked, Noctis legs gave a jolt out of sheer surprise and horror. "You!? That's impossible!"

"Aah! So he remembers. What a pity, I would have loved to tease you a little while longer," the handsome man smiled brightly and patted his knee in a playful manner. "Tell me, young lad, how do you feel?"

"Ardyn!" Noctis all of a sudden forgot himself and lunged at his nemesis, his shaking fists taking a hold of his ancestor's long robe. "What the hell have you done?"

Slightly alarmed but not feeling threatened, Ardyn cocked his head to the side and replied calmly, "What do you mean? Is something the matter?"

"Stop playing your games with me! I'm sick of it. I'm so sick of it all! To think I felt relief and a smidgen of compassion toward you by the end! Why the hell are we back at this again?" Noctis shouted, his repressed anger and frustration quickly growing into innumerable proportions. This surely must have been all Ardyn's fault!

Noctis' prison companion crouched closer to his own hiding spot, staring at both men in fright. "What are you doing? Be quiet, please, else our position will get exposed..." he hissed fearfully.

Harsh, warm breaths puffed against Ardyn's puzzled face. When no answer came, Noctis leaned further inside the older man's personal space. "Let me go home. Now."

Ardyn took a small step back. He narrowed his eyes, still trying to piece together this delightful yet unknown puzzle before him. The flickering flames of the campfire reflected their warm light back into intelligent hazel eyes. Ardyn's brilliant mind worked furiously. Noctis shuddered at the contact when Ardyn's hands grasped and pushed his own gently but firmly aside. His nemesis' eyes never once left his face and a powerful aura emanated from him as he stood upright.

Increasing the distance between them with another step, Ardyn asked calmly, "Do we know each other?"

Noctis sent him an incredulous look. Why was Ardyn insisting on playing ignorant? Had he lost his memories? Before Noctis could react, the first crackling sparks of Ardyn's power, and therefore a definite proof of his Lucis Caelum royal blood line, reached forward and unwittingly coaxed Noctis' own powers out to reveal themselves.

Intrigued and a bit frightened by the similar shards of magic dancing around the both of them, Ardyn took another tentative step backwards. "What's your name?"

"Noc-" Noctis stopped himself at the last second from revealing his full name. He forced himself to calm down. Ardyn didn't attack him, yet. Only now that Noctis had the full attention of his former enemy did he notice the differences on Ardyn's demeanor and face. He looked younger. Much healthier. Ardyn's eyes were... dare he say it, kinder, and much more vibrant with life as before. The dark lines of fatigue on his face were gone and the bags under his golden eyes were not as pronounced as Noctis could remember. Not to mention, the strange discrepancy between the colors of the magic shards of now to the ones Ardyn emanated in their final battle. Instead of the usual glowing red shades, Ardyn's royal powers sparkled in the same translucent way as his own magic did. What sorcery was this?

Was Noctis in danger of losing his mind?

Was this some sick joke he wasn't fully aware of? A holographic illusion, perhaps? Was this some lunatic, twisted version of reality inverted by Ardyn, meant solely for the man's own perverted enjoyment? If not, did they both travel into the far past? A bad dream? Parallel timeline? What the hell was happening here?

Noctis felt a huge headache incoming, so he took a deep breath of fresh air while he pondered. Knowing that Ardyn's patience must be running low, Noctis carefully examined the situation, hiding the shards of his magic away from Ardyn's wide-eyed stare. He thought to himself, maybe he could play the same game and then wait to see what happens.

"It's Noctis," he said boldly, clearing his throat. He hated lying. "Noctis Amicitia."

Ardyn's eyes narrowed in suspicion and he scoffed aloud, voice laced with humor. "Surely you jest. Sarus Amicitia is my royal Shield. I'm aware of the entire Amicitia blood line and I've never heard of you before, nor are there any similarities in your appearances. Why don't we try again?"

Noctis' eyes widened a fraction. Well, crap, there went his chance to fool his enemy. He was such a bad liar. "Right. Tell me yours first."

"Prince Ardyn Lucis Caelum, of course. The one and only."

Even if he sounded a bit offended, there was no hesitation in Ardyn's answer. Neither did he call himself Izunia. What should Noctis make of these little pieces of information? Could this Ardyn be a version of his far past, after all? If yes, then he had nothing to worry about, right? Ardyn hadn't been betrayed yet by his younger brother Somnus. Dare he hope that Ardyn would become an ally to his cause? Hell, Noctis so badly wanted to understand their situation, his headache increasing steadily by the seconds.

Having apparently enough of this charade, Ardyn summoned a sword into his right hand in form of a warning. "Tell me your true name this instant or this will be our last conversation. It would sadden me greatly to leave you and your dear friend at the mercy of Solheim's mindless and bloodthirsty men. There are certainly more pleasurable ways of dying, don't you think?"

"Please, Your Highness, you can't just—"

"Oh hush. I assure you, I certainly can." Ardyn held his free hand up to silence the blonde man, his sharp eyes staying solely on Noctis' shifting movements.

The tension between the three men grew as the silence continued.

"Fine," Noctis finally said, hissing out a defeated sigh. "I have nothing to lose anyway. My true name is Noctis Scientia." He finished his line with an air of finality.

There. He dared sticking to a lie again. Noctis only hoped Ignis would forgive him one day.

Both men of Lucian blood intensified their competing stares. Their aura of power increased and pushed ever so slightly against another. One could cut the tension in half with a knife.

The youngest man present decided he had enough. Noctis — whatever his final name was — and himself needed to leave this place right now. He could feel it in his bones that danger was approaching. There should be something that he could do to keep the two men in front of him from getting at each other's throats.

"Uhm, just in case you two might have wondered," the youngest amongst the men said, effectively breaking the stifling silence between them. He shuffled his feet back and forth in the muddy grass below as if ready to escape their wrath. "Everyone calls me Quicksilver. To be honest, I've never known my true name, so... let's be friends?" He asked sheepishly, holding his hands up in mock surrender. Prince or not, trustworthy guy or not, Quicksilver thought they honestly didn't have time for any more of that reveal your true name shit. Who cared anyway? It wasn't important, people changed their names all the time.

Noctis and Ardyn spared Quicksilver one small glance, but then all of a sudden Ardyn's stance froze. "They are here," he whispered alarmed, looking behind him and summoning a second sword inside of his free hand.

Quicksilver groaned in dismay, staring at Noctis. "See? I told you! What are we still doing here? Let's run!"

Dozens of soldiers and ancient machines appeared from the shadow of the trees, surrounding all three men from each side and leaving no escape route open as they aimed their impressive magitek weapons toward their prey.

"Too late for that," said Noctis, exhaling loudly in emotional preparation for the upcoming battle. Etheric energy began gathering inside his body, vibrating the area around him and pulsing steadily beneath his feet — a sure sign of the impending appearance of his Armiger Unleashed ability.

Noctis felt Ardyn's sharp eyes following him as he took his first step facing the new enemy, standing protectively in front of Quicksilver. He twisted his mouth slightly. He had no other choice but to reveal his full powers, hence revealing the truth about his royal bloodline to Ardyn. He didn't like that one bit.

What a mess. Noctis still didn't understand what in the world he was doing here. He still didn't understand his purpose. The only thing he was sure of was that staying alive was his prime directive. He wouldn't let anyone take any more precious lives. Not if he could prevent that. So he took another deep breath, focusing on rising and refining his life energy into more potent magic. And then, with a blast full of light, his awakened Armiger combat skills fully unleashed.

Ardyn, who was currently busy catching his own breath audibly in the background, made Noctis smile a little.

So that's it. The truth was out there. No more games.

...

to be continued...