---The War Within---

This story/one-shot is for Warangel88. I hope you like this story/One-shot!

Pairing: Stella and Noctis

She blinked at the bright sunlight. "Hmm...Where is he? He should have been here by now. Stupid Prince. Making a Princess wait." Stella Nox Fleuret frowned as she looked at her wristwatch. It was 5 PM in the afternoon. Her 'date' was going to be here at 3 PM, but apparently he wasn't here. She forced herself not to leave the park. Breathing in and out, slowly controlling her anger.

"Noctis....you made me wait 2 hours! Two! Damn him...maybe he was lying then." She muttered to herself darkly on the park bench. Some kids stared at her and their parents hurried away from the Princess. An aura surrounded the Princess: dark and purple.

She shaded her eyes from the glaring sun and decided to leave. It was getting late and she should have been home a long time ago. Sighing, she picked up her purse and began to walk until she heard a voice from behind,"So, you don't want to be in the park? You could have at least said so, Stella."

Stella turned around and stood there in mild shock. There he was. Noctis Lucis Caelum, the Prince. He sat on the bench and looked at her with a bored face. "Are you going to talk? Or not?" he said in monotone. The woman gritted her teeth and sat down stiffly. Looking away she said quietly,"You make me wait."

Noctis looked away, hiding the fact he was rolling his eyes. "I had things to do you know. To become King?" He heard a deep sigh from her and someone standing up. "You should have at least called, Noct. I mean really. Haven't you heard of a cellphone? Ce-ll-pho-ne." She said slowly, staring at him with an icy turn of her head.

Noctis tried not to be angry, he tried not to walk away from her, he tried to control the rising pride he had left in him. He looked at her with his dark blue eyes and said,"I'm sorry I didn't have your number. You didn't give it to me." Stella's eyes widened and she pursed her lips.

"Well I'm sorry that you didn't ask me for THEM!" She threw her purse at him in anger and he caught it with his hand. He was impressed that she threw so hard like that. He looked at the Princess with a smug smile. "Alright, I'll ask." Noctis walked towards Stella who looked at Noctis flashing eyes. With one hand in his pocket and one hand free, he stopped right in front of her.

Stella blushed at the close contact. Leaning his head towards her, he smiled a gentleman's smile, and put his free hand against a tree. In a stranger's eye, you would see Noctis, a sharp-looking, handsome man leaning towards a beautiful, innocent woman named Stella.

In a stranger's eye, you would look on to see what would happen, wondering if the man would dare to kiss her or to whisper in her ear to say sweet nothings. Then you would be shocked if you liked them intimate together since he said something to her and she answered back. No kissing or whispering involved. Sorry Stranger.

Noctis looked at her with his eyes and put on a blank face. "So?" Stella looked at him in confusion,"So, what?" He fished something out of his pocket and gave her a pen and paper. "Aren't you going to write that down?" The princess blinked at him and wrote down her number. After she was done, he took it from her and put it back in his pocket. Noctis went back to the bench and sat down again.

Stella looked at her options: Stay here and talk. Or go home and moan and groan about what happened to her at the park. So many choices....

She sat back down. Stella quietly grabbed her purse from his side of the bench and put on her side. "The Army is coming you know." He said quietly. She knew that. She knew a long time ago. "Yes. They are, aren't they?" He looked at the blue sky above him.

It seemed too peaceful. Birds flying and chirping, children playing carefree and innocent. They didn't know that an Army was going to hit them full force. Stella was going to be at the front lines. Fighting for everything she had. He was going to be there too. Fighting at her side to the death.

She smiled at the grim ending she was going to soon have. She stole a quick glance at her fighting partner. He seemed calm and collected at this moment. Many thoughts swirled around her:

Being happy, smiling and laughing, playing with the children in the park, designing dresses with Maurice, being with her Prince......protecting her country to her death. All because of a Crystal. A Crystal that he has right now in his castle. Just one Crystal....started this war.

Her and Noctis's war. Did the Gods plan this? Did they want the people of Noctis's and Tenebrae's people suffer? Did they want to kill for enjoyment? Stella bit her lip. Those thoughts were going too deep. It was beyond her understanding if she was including the Gods.

She and Noctis were just bystanders lost in a war that was never meant to be. She was a princess of Tenebrae and he was a Prince in another kingdom. There was a voice ringing in her head: Are you meant to be?

Stella shivered. That voice...it wasn't hers. It was. . .his. She breathed in deeply and silently as she could, making sure Noctis was unaware of her unusual behavior. He couldn't have. No! She wasn't going to get Noctis involved in this. This was her own battle. Hers and hers only.

Noctis noticed that she wasn't talking and started up conversation. Something he wasn't good at at times. "It's pretty today." He said uncertainly, his nervousness was showing. Stella snapped out of her self doubt and trance and nodded. "Y-yes. It is isn't it?" Birds chirped above their heads.

The war and the Army loomed over their heads. It was inenviable. Something had to be done. But...this was War. One person wasn't going to change the tide of war. Only the Crystal. That was the only thing that could change the fate. Their fate.

Stella closed her eyes and looked at Noctis. He felt her eyes on him and he looked at her. A frown etched her face. The atmosphere changed instantly. This was not Stella, the Princess of Tenebrae. This was Stella Nox Fleuret, her true self.

"What did Her Lady say, Caelum?" Her voice was stern and imploring, her eyes tried to scan for answers, but she found none. Noctis knew what she was asking for. Her painting was still in his castle. Her face still looking at him, with unknown knowledge of his fate. Her eyes boaring into his soul, knowing that he would be with her til the end of time.

"Caelum, answer me. What did Her Lady say?"

Noctis felt her eyes stare straight into him. Just like her...

He felt his mouth move and his eyes still on Stella. Stella's stare felt so cruel and cold.

"Her Lady said nothing to me. She didn't say anything . . . She never said a word to me. It was like . . . I didn't exist." The wind blew against the two, making the silence more unbearable. Stella blinked and looked away. Her lip quivered. Anger, sadness, regret took over.

"No. No. S-She must have said something." She felt herself stand up and face Noctis with hurt eyes. Eyes that were scared and sad. Her hand clutched the middle of her chest. Noctis quickly got up and grabbed her shoulders.

"Stella, not now. People are still here." It sounded urgent and sharp. Like a father scolding his child. No, Stella didn't want Noctis telling her that. It was too late. She screamed.

"PLEASE NOCTIS! TELL ME NOW! DID SHE SAY ANYTHING TO YOU?! ANYTHING! ABOUT THE LIGHT, ABOUT THE WAR, ABOUT ANYTHING! SHE MUST HAVE SAID SOMETHING! PLEASE NOCTIS..."

Noctis closed his eyes in defeat. Her screams still ringing his ears. He looked gently at Stella who rubbed her eyes with both of her hands. She was crying. His Star was crying and he couldn't stop them. Her heart was pouring out to him. He let go of her and slowly wrapped his arms around her.

His heart felt heavy, full of sadness and guilt. Stella pressed against his chest, crying even more. She didn't want this fate. No one asked for her opinion. No asked her if she wanted to die early. No one thought of her at all. No one understood her at all.

Noctis felt the sobs and the wet tears on his suit. He sighed and hugged her tighter. "She didn't say anything to me, Stella. Nothing at all. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." He whispered to her. Her sobs became more hysterical. She screamed again, her fingers digging at his back.

Noctis felt the sadness in her. He closed his eyes and pulled her closer, stroking her hair to calm her down. "Shh, Shh, it's alright. It's okay. Everything's going to be fine. I'm going to be right there with you, remember?" She nodded. Her crying became silent and her heart still tugging at fate.

The grip on his back loosened, to Noctis's relief, and her arms hung limp at her sides. He let go of her as she wiped her eyes and sniffed. With a small laugh she said,"So, she didn't say a thing, Noctis? I guess we aren't worthy of her answers or praise. Fate is so cruel isn't, Noctis?"

"Yes it is. Fate is the Gods and we are just humans." He said with a touch of hurt. Stella took her purse and looked at Noctis with a small smile.

"She's so mean, Noctis. How do you handle her?" With that, she walked away. The Prince shook his head and sadly smiled, looking at the sky one final time.

"Stella, she isn't mean. She cares about us too much to speak. If she spoke . . . she would only bring in the bad news. She does not speak for her own sake. She speaks for all of us. That's good enough for her, isn't?"

The wind blew against his face, signaling the time for war.

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In the castle, Her Lady smiled.

"You have much to learn, Noctis."

That wasn't so romancy, but that's what I think might happen in the game *which is unlikely*. Okay for people who think Stella's out of character. To me, she really isn't. She's kick ass, she can't always be so polite and dutiful all at once! She's a fighter, brave, out-spoken, independent, and crazy if she needs to be. She's not always nice and perfect. She's human *kinda* and she has feelings too.

Maurice is one of my OCs. He's a gay dressmaker. He might appear now and again. He first appeared in A Solider and a Princess. I love him. I love his clothes. they really fit his style. I do hope you know who "Her Lady" is. In my story, she plays a major role in the Versus and sometimes 13, story plots.

Oh, *waves to Warangel88* I hope you liked it! I just made it in one day, which is surprising to me. *smiles*

Please enjoy! Review if you need too!

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Your Author,

Yuki