"Its better to light a candle than curse the darkness" - Eleanor Roosevelt

Bravely Default Story:

"Noblesse Oblige"

The Grand Duchy...Eternia...such were the names of a powerful continent, hidden by snowy peaks and frigid terrain, equally as ridden with monsters as any other kingdom. Sitting to the far west, high to the north, navigation through its mountain ranges was nearly impossible. So isolated except through the cold air above them, it was almost impossible to receive aid. However, through technological advances, and through the power of the Earth Crystal, medicinal capabilities and White Magic have prospered.

All made possible by the ruler and commander of Eternia's Council of Six. The stalwart paladin...Braev Lee.

However...such times of peace are but fleeting. And this world sits forever...at the precipice of destruction.

And destruction beckons that which cannot be quelled...a dark fury that will swallow whole the light, if left untamed.

To you, soul left to wonder...I grant unto you these words, so that the light within you shall not fade.

'noblesse...oblige...'

"Chapter 1: The Nightmare of Eternia"

"BRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAEEEEEEEEV!"

A deep, gravely voice, reminiscient to one belonging to a demonic being, roared in rage as footsteps thundered across the corridor as they approached the room of Eternia's highest governing body, the room of the Council of Six. A heavy blow was dealt to the doors that obstructed the figure's path, ripping them off their hinges before crashing against the opposite end of the room. Being blown away alongside the doors were several guards, who were thrown into the air and sent crashing back down. Two in particular, however, stood their ground as they touched the floor, their feet skidding across the pavement. One was clad in dark armor with few traces of gold decorating the armor, carrying a red sword. The other was a man with shoulder-length black hair and grey eyes, wearing a green and white kimono with a light green sash around his waist and dark green sandals with a pink pom-pom on each foot. He wore a white hat atop his head and white gloves. He also bore a grey and green shrug around his left shoulder with a large pink pom-pom.

"Xeros, enough of this foolishness!" the dark-clad warrior shouted, although to the samurai, it was more begging and pleading than yelling. "Do you have any idea what it is you're doing?!"

A low, guttering growl came in response, stepping out from the smoke of debris. It was a young man with messy, unkempt snowy white hair that danced with the black aura blowing around him, his left eye burning crimson red and seemingly leaving behind a trail as he stepped forward. He was dressed in slim, jet black armor, accented by silver trims and a pauldron resembling the head of a beast on the right shoulder. Flowing from it was a tattered, dark purple cape bearing the insignia of Eternia. Like the black armored soldier, he carried a bloody red sword in his hand, though this resembled more of a greatsword, held in a single hand.

"Out of the way, Alternis!" the man snarled, swiping his arm and leaving behind a trail of black mist. "Otherwise, you'll be as dead as the rest of these bastards!"

The green-clad man let out a troubled sigh. "...your eyes are clouded, Umbra," he said, his voice calm in spite of the fact that his hand rested atop his sword. "If you continue down this path, you will only know regret and sorrow. Tell me, would you wish for Edea to become fatherless? Her hating you for taking her father away from her? Would Sophia want you to-"

"DON'T YOU DARE SPEAK HER NAME!" The miasma clad knight leaped forward and swung his sword down on the green clad swordsmen, who unsheathed his katana and intercepted the strike that would've cleaved him in two. The force of the blow caused the chamber to rattle, and Alternis was nearly thrown off of his feet. Black waves erupted, ripping apart the ground. The samurai remained steadfast, however, and with a parry, the knight was thrown back. He twirled through the air before he landed back on his feet, formed into a crouch while he prepared his blade for another strike. "Kamiizumi...!"

"Umbra, if you continue this," Nobutsuna Kamiizumi warned, drawing his katana. "Know that there will be no redemption for you."

"...Redemption...? REDEMPTION?! Who exactly are you fooling, Kamiizumi?! You all are a bunch of damn hypocrites!"

Alternis gritted his teeth, readying himself for the next bout. "See reason, Xeros! If we can just talk about this-!"

"Shut up!" Xeros roared. "You're just as guilty as Braev, Alternis! You were supposed to protect her! And yet, you...you...!" The grip on his sword tightened as he pointed it at the man he once called brother. "You betrayed me!"

Alternis shook his head. "It wasn't like that!" he snapped back. "Yes, I failed to protect her! But do you think you and Edea are the only ones suffering?! I watched her fall right before my eyes! I could do nothing! So yes, you may hate me for my failure in protecting Sophia..." With a swipe of his sword, Alternis fell into his battle stance, a dark aura beginning to seep from his free hand. "...but I won't allow you to cause any more pain to Edea by killing her father!"

"That man derserves to die!" Xero snarled. "Do you think of me a fool, Alternis?! I know the truth...the truth of Sophia's death...all orchestrated by the Grand Marshall!"

"How can you say that?!"

"Enough, Alternis," Kamiizumi silenced the man before he could speak further. The Dark Knight wanted to protest, but stopped when he saw the look on his comrade's face. The face of a man who would soon regret what he was about to do. "He has made his choice...ready your sword." The Swordmaster slowly drew his famed blade to his face, eyes narrowing in sadness at the boy he once trained. "Xeros Umbra, Demon Knight of the Grand Duchy...Eternian laws about betrayal are quite clear. The sentence...is death."

"The only ones who will die...are all of you!" The Demon Knight roared before swinging his blade in a wide arc. "Miasma wave!" An arc of black mist surged from his sword as it raced towards the two foes.

Alternis leaped over it while Kamiizumi sliced it in half, a gleam of silver trailing behind in his wake. Then the two launched themselves at Xeros, who let out a roar and charged at them.

Then they clashed-

A pair of mismatched eyes snapped open, followed by a head shifting upward and letting out a startled gasp. Xeros Umbra was gasping for air, his pale skin dripping with sweat while the bangs of his white locks stuck to his skin, eyes wide with panic. His heart beat against his chest, which heaved and caved rapidly. Slowly, however, he began to calm himself, and thus his breathing lessened. Eventually, he let out a tired sigh, and a clawed, dark metal hand covered his face, obscuring it from view.

"Another dream from back then, huh?" he muttered. "I've been having those a lot lately." Once again, he was doomed to have a restless night. For the past several days, he has woken up in the middle of the night due to the recurring dream, or rather...memory. How long has it been since he suffered from these now? A year? It certainly felt like it. He rose to his feet, his tattered cloak shuffling from the movement, and made his way out of the alley. He was greeted with the cold, gentle breeze and the impressive sight of small cities gathered below him, and the palace not far from where he stood.

The Kingdom of Caldisla, located not far from Eternia. The place where he would find her here, somewhere. "It's a quiet night," Xeros muttered, looking up at the pale moon hanging above. "Even though that chasm opened up the other day."

"You think we'll find Agnes here?" a small voice asked. Popping out from Xeros' cloak, right next to his neck, was a small figure. It resembled a boy with dark hair, spiked up at the front while two bangs framed its face, and wore some kind of dark bodysuit with white tribal markings, and glittering wings fluttering behind it, resembling those of a butterfly, which were marked by blue accents. "I mean, she has to be here, right?"

The white-haired man shook his head. "Only one way to find out," he replied before giving the creature a stink-eye. "Also...what have I told you about talking while we're out in public, Fairy?"

"Ugh, there you go again!" the Cryst-Fairy grumbled, folding his arms. "My name isn't Fairy, you know! Its Noct! Try and remember it!"

"I will consider it if you actually try to heed my warnings, Fairy..." The man frowned.

Noct sighed, shaking his head. "Just saying," he muttered before he sunk back into the cloak. "By the way...aren't we going to head to the chasm? I mean, it could be related to the Wind Crystal going silent."

"No. First things first, I need to speak with the king about how things are going here first," Xeros responded. "Chances are, Braev's trying to find the Wind Vestal...and he's not afraid of using force to find her." A scoff erupted from his throat as he turned away. "Typical of him."

"You keep talking about this Braev person as if you personally know the guy. Come on...tell me the details. They can actually be used to help us here..." Instantly, Xeros gave the cryst fairy a dark glare, his left eye glowing almost threateningly so. "...okay, nevermind."

With that, Noct returned to his safe place inside the cloak. Xeros gave a humph, and turned his attention back to the night sky. To think that it has been so long since that time...

"This better be worth the trouble, you old fool..."

When Tiz Arrior awoke, he found himself staring back at an unfamiliar, wooden ceiling. His head pounded like crazy as he tried to seat himself upright. He tried to remember what happened before now...then all of a sudden, the memories came back at him at full force. The earthquake, Norende, his village, swallowed by the collapsing earth...his younger brother...

"Tiz!"

"Til!"

...the one he failed to save...

He couldn't help but wince, his hand touching his face. How was he even still alive? Why...was it only him? Why couldn't it have been...

"Oh...you're awake, I see."

The sudden voice startled the teen. His head whipped to the side, coming face to face with an elderly man with dark skin, a head full of stark, white hair, and a mustache of the same color. He was dressed in a beige colored shirt with rolled sleeves, a pair of dark trousers and suspenders. He was also pretty fit for a man his age, possessing a pair of strong arms. "Are you alright?" He asked kindly.

Slowly, the boy nodded. "Y-yes...where is this place?"

"My inn," the old man answered. "The guards found you unconscious, near the edge of the chasm." Suddenly, a morose look formed on his face, looking down. Tiz knew what that meant, already knowing the fate of his home and family simply by the word 'chasm.' "I'm sorry, lad...your home is..."

Even though he already knew this, it didn't stop the emptiness any more that it did. Tiz turned away, staring at the sheets that covered his legs. He heard the sound of heavy footsteps approaching. Slowly, he turned and found a young man approaching, dressed in armor with a mess of blonde hair atop his scalp. "Are you alright?" the man asked tenderly. He gave a solemn nod. "I see. That's a relief. My name is Owen, captain of Caldislan guard. Can you tell me yours?"

"I-It's...Tiz...Tiz Arrior..." The teenager replied.

Owen nodded his head. "You were found unconscious at the ravine, near Norende." He paused, as if unsure how to answer the next question. "I take it...it was your home?" Tiz gave a solemn nod. "I...I'm sorry, but...your village is gone." Tiz winced. He knew the truth already, but to hear it still...it hurt. It made him remember how he watched Til fall into a sea of white after he had lost his grip. "A great chasm opened, and your village was swallowed up in darkness. You were spared, but the others..." Owen shook his head, as if to remove himself from that line of thought. "Pray, do not think of it for now. You need to rest...there will be time for mourning later."

"I...I understand..." Tiz said solemnly, unable to verbally respond further.

Owen looked as if he wished to say more, but couldn't find the right words. He eventually left, the old man following behind him. "I'm glad the lad is back with us," the innkeeper said, albeit saddened. He had never seen such a defeated look on one so young. "Though I'm worried."

"Aye, I share the same sentiments, father," Owen said. "All alone in the world. And past that solitude, what? Guilt at surviving? Pitiable lad." The men eventually stopped at the door, as the captain of the knights gave his father a respectful nod. "The king will be expecting my report. Please keep watch on him a little while longer, father."

"Oh, before that..." Karl said, stopping his son. "A stranger came by earlier. He seemed to be asking about if anyone from Eternia had shown up around here recently."

Owen blinked. "Truly? How odd...though I fail to see why the Grand Duchy would be interested. Ours is a small kingdom."

"I agree." The Innkeeper nodded. "However, the young lad looked pretty determined in his search...he must be looking for someone..."

The young captain dipped his head in thought. He doubted that Eternia would ever bother with them, though with the chasm opening up...well, he could ponder that later. For now, he would have to look into the matter. As the captain of the guard, he had to ensure that this stranger would not pose a threat to the people of Caldisla. "Do you recall what he looked like, father?"

"I didn't see much of him because of the cloak," Karl shook his head. "I remember only hair as white as snow, a left eye the color of blood...and skin as pale as a ghost."

"I see..." certainly the cloak would be a big give away, considering not too many people in Caldisla wear such articles...but he'd be sure to keep an eye out for the aforementioned features, as they were too, uncommon in the town. With a bow, Owen left his father, and made haste for the castle.

"I see...I apologize for wasting your time, Your Majesty."

The large man shook his head, waving a hand to tell him it was fine. "It is of little consequence, stranger," he told Xeros. "However...I understand your concern. I would find it strange if Eternia would come here, though I would sincerely doubt it. Caldisla is but a small kingdom of Luxendarc. However, I shall take your warnings to heart."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I truly appreciate it." The cloaked man bowed respectfully. He then stood up and turned away to leave the throne room. As he left, he passed by a few guards who gave him curious stares. He didn't blame them. After all, his presence alone was strange. He didn't belong here, not that he actually had a place. The only place he had was with Sophia...and she was gone. Before he felt himself lose it from the mere memory, he focused on the present. Eternia had not made any moves so far, though the signs of them coming were imminent. The seas were rotted, the winds had ceased to blow, and the earth trembled. No doubt the result of the crystals being forced into slumber. If the Wind Vestal was here, he needed to find her. If he stood by her side, he would have the opportunity to take his revenge against the Grand Marshal...and protect someone from another cruel fate.

"Well, that was a waste of time," Noct muttered.

"Not quite so, Fairy..." Xeros shook his head. "We are at least for sure that Eternia has yet to invade. All the matters now is to find the Wind Vestal before they do..."

"So...we head to the chasm?"

"Yes, we do."

Without another word exchanged, the two set off to the scar of the Earth that was once the village of Norende. As he did, however, he failed to notice the young man watching him from afar. He had mid-length pale blond hair styled into a pompadour and light tan eyes. He wore small silver stud earrings. His outfit consisted of a light blue shirt with fur around the collar and black elbow length gloves. He wore black pants, a white belt with white pouches hanging on each side and black boots. In his hand was a black leatherbound notebook with a stylized "D" written on it.

The young man watched him with curiosity in his eyes. "That man...where have I seen him before?" The blonde then opened up his journal and flipped through several pages. Eventually, he stopped at the page containing the description of the individual. "Xeros Umbra...Demon Knight," the man hummed before a smile formed on his face, shutting the journal closed. "Seems like I'm to meet both an angel and a devil of fate."

Tiz could scarcely believe what had happened to him. He had been unconscious for a good long while, and when he awoke, he was greeted with the cold, harsh reality. His brother, family, home and friends...all were gone. Swallowed up by a light, and now replaced with an empty chasm. In spite of this, he had to see for himself whether or not everything was truly lost. He had left Caldisla to investigate, to see if there were any survivors. At the very least, if there was anyone who could tell him something. Traversing the cave leading to where he could see the entirety of the chasm wasn't very hard. However, the annoying goblins that occupied it were something else.

He was lucky he had his knife at the ready. It wasn't very powerful, but he could hold his own with it and take them down. The battles at least kept his mind away from the thoughts about the chasm. That could wait when he arrived.

'There has to be someone who can give me answers,' he thought, making his way up to the Norende Ravine. 'But...even when I do have them...what will I do? Til's gone, my parents are gone...everyone's gone...'

He had nothing left...just what was he going to do afterward? The question had plagued him as he moved forward. For now, all he could do was advance. However, he soon paused, noticing a cloaked figure walking not too far ahead of him. "Who's that?" he wondered. "Is it...someone who came to see the ravine?" He didn't think anyone other than him would be visiting. What if...what if it's someone else from Norende? Someone who wasn't in the village at the time? Only one way to find out. Meekly, Tiz called out to them. "E-excuse me!" He immediately doing that, as in a split second, the cloaked man whirled around, and drew his sword. "W-wait, hold on! I-I'm not an enemy!" The cloaked stranger remained tense, though after taking in Tiz's attire, he slowly lowered his blade. "U-um...are you from...Norende? My name's Tiz. I...I'm trying to find out what happened."

"...no..I am not a resident of this village..." The figure responded. "But I take it you are the survivor...?"

"Y-yes."

The cloaked stranger let out a sigh, sheathing his blade. Tiz got a better look at him. His skin was pale, almost like a ghost, his right eye was obscured but saw some dark gray, despite his left eye being crimson red, and his hair was as white as snow. "...if you've come to investigate, head further up," he said, turning around. "You can see the chasm from there. I doubt it will do you any good."

Tiz was hesitant at first, but soon, he forced his legs to move forward. Eventually, he stood next to the cloaked man and he felt his heart drop. Before his eyes...was a gaping chasm so deep that the bottom isn't visible. A pitch black hole, sinking deep within the earth. At the edges were scorched lands, and the river that once flowed into Norende was falling deep into the hall. There were no signs of life to be found anywhere, not even the faintest. It was as if animals could not bear to be around the hole.

Tiz felt himself growing weak in the knees. Eventually, he fell on all fours, head hanging low. "H-how...why..."

"...some may call it divined judgment...others may say that it was the actions of a higher deity...very few may call it the heartless actions of a monster..." the cloaked man said, closing his eyes. "I cannot offer a stranger words that would have empty meaning."

"T...that's fine," Tiz sobbed, wiping away his tears. He tore his eyes away from the sight, unable to look at the sight any longer. "I-I'm...sorry for showing you something as stupid as this. I-I should be stronger than this..."

The man quirked an eyebrow. "Why would you say that?" he asked. "A man who does not cry from the loss of something so great cannot be called human. It is not a weakness to grieve before a stranger, Tiz Arrior."

The messy haired teen was surprised by the mans words...yet he nodded at them nonetheless. As he stood, Tiz then noticed someone standing far off. Not far was a cliff that overlooked the chasm, and she stood at the edge, hands clasped in prayer. She had brown eyes and long brown hair down to just above her knees, kept in place with a black hairband. She wore a knee-length white dress with dark sleeves and black fur trimming at the hem and black embroidery at the bust. She also wore a black bolero, a black cinch belt, knee-high black boots with pom-poms and elbow-length black gloves.

"Can you hear my prayers?" the girl asked, her eyes closed while her face was lifted up to the gray skies above them. "Wherever you are, whoever you are... Can you see the wound torn open before me? Please, let the walls of the world collapse no further. Let me be strong enough to stem this flood."

Tiz said nothing as his gazed was locked on her. Was she praying for the people of Norende? The cloaked man also stared at her, though his gaze was one of recognition. Did he know her from somewhere? To Tiz's surprise, the man slowly walked up to her. "...so you pay even now, Wind Vestal," he said, surprising the girl as she turned. "Even when this world has lost its light."

"...I...I am sorry...but who are you...?" The woman was tense, as if expecting the man to strike.

The man gave a slight bow. "Xeros...Noblesse..." He stated no other words than those, yet his posture and tone of voice seemed to indicate that he was not hostile. Tiz was confused. It seemed like he knew her, but the girl did not. When he spoke his name, however, recognition flashed across her eyes.

"No...Noblesse...is it truly you...?"

Xeros gave a nod. "That pendant your wearing," he said, pointing at it. "It was a gift from Old Man Yulyana."

"Y-yes, it was," she nodded. Slowly, a smile graced her features. "I wasn't aware he sent you...I'm sorry for the inconvenience I may have caused you."

"It is alright..." The man shook his head. "I am just relieved I have found you before Eternia did..."

Okay, now he was thoroughly confused. "U-um...I don't want to be the odd one out here, but," Tiz spoke up, earning the girl's attention. "Do you two...know each other?"

"She is Agnes Oblige," the man, Xeros, said. "I have been looking for her."

"O-oh..."

Agnes gave a bow. "Hello," she greeted. "Are you one of Sir Xeros' companions?"

"N-no, I'm...from Norende," he told her. Instantly, Agnes gasped, her hands coming to her mouth in surprise. "I...I want to see if I could at least learn something...what could have caused it, or why..." His hands balled into fists, and his head lowered. "And if...if anyone had..."

Agnes' eyes developed a sadness to them. "I..." she spoke slowly, her tone genuinely remorseful. "I am sorry...you alone survived."

"I...I see..." The boy looked downward solemnly. So he truly is the sole survivor...

Xeros gave the boy a worried look. However, he soon tensed, and his eye burned, creating an eerie glow. A loud whirrling sound echoed above them, as the wind began to spur wildly. Up above, a giant aircraft loomed, bearing down on them. A growl ripped from his throat. "Speak of the devil..."

"Haaa haaaaaaa! I've found you! You've been found!" A gruff voice cackled as a pair of fists crashed against one another jovially. Up on the Eternian Airship, four individuals leered down at their prey. Two were soldiers, wearing black and gray armor with a red helmet, carrying crossbows and swords. The other two, however, were different. One was a heavily built man dressed in monk carbs and the other was garbed in a white dress and robes. "I've the nose of a hawk! Haha! And the nose of seven wolves!" the man bellowed jubilantly, grinning like a madman.

The white-robed woman rolled her eyes, shaking her hand in disinterest. "Seven wolves that wasted the last week sniffing at dead ends," she snapped. "Now stop yapping and go fetch!"

"I know woman!" the man growled. "And I take no orders from you! NO ORDERS!"

"An Eternian airship?!" Tiz gawked, staring at the cruiser hanging overhead. "What the heck are they doing here?!"

Xeros snarled. "The Sky Knights," he said, recognizing the emblem. "Eternia's best aerial assault force. They're led by the Knight Heinkel."

"I thought I had covered my trail!" Agnes muttered, now scared. She then looked at Tiz, worried for his safety. As far as she was concerned, he was just an innocent bystander who was about to be caught up in something she wanted to get no one tangled up in. After all, this was her fight. "Go, now! Its me they want!"

"W-what? Why?!"

"Because she's the Vestal of Wind," Xeros told him, eyeing the ship wearily, already drawing his blade. "Now go, boy! This is no place for children!"

Agnes then took off in a run, Xeros following behind her. However, they didn't get far, as canonfire began to impede them, blasting at the ground. Tiz's eyes went wide. "They're shooting at us?!" he cried, nearly stumbling off the cliff from the shock of the projectile's impact. "This is madness!" He looked at Agnes, who was still startled. She did say to get away, but he wasn't about to leave her behind. He quickly caught up to them, and grabbed her hand. "C'mon, this way!"

"W-what?!" That was as far as Agnes got before Tiz quickly dragged her away. Xeros was surprised, but ran after them. He couldn't afford to leave her side for even a second. That being said, his eye was beginning to burn, and a shaky smile was starting to form on his face.

To think that the Sky Knights would be here...this would be a good opportunity to get some answers. For one, who was the one who killed Sophia. Though it was the Marshal who sent her to her death...he wanted to know who did the honors.

And what better way to learn of this than from the brute and sadistic white Mage of Eternia?

'Just wait, Braev,' Xeros thought darkly, his blood boiling. 'I'm coming for you...!'

-Chapter 1: END-

The Tale that is to Come:

Xeros Umbra, the once feared Nightmare of Eternia, now tasked with protecting the Wind Vestal, encounters the sole survivor of Norende, Tiz Arrior, only to short come into conflict with the Eternian Knights. Soon after, he is greeted by a familiar face, but an unfamiliar attitude. However, soon, the Demon Knight will take to the battlefield once more. Next Time: Chaos Driver. Will you fall to darkness? Or will you cut through and embrace the wind?