…1… A Slip Sideways

Noctis isn't quite sure what happened.

One moment, they're coming down from the slopes of Mount Ravatogh, same as a few times before; an easy drop and a quick slide to the bottom. Simple. Except, something had gone wrong this time. A slight twist in his hips had thrown Noctis off of his trajectory, sending him instead careening toward the hard rock wall. He heard Ignis yell, had thrown his arms up to protect his head from the imminent collision, and then…

Nothing.

Everything had gone pitch black and he could feel himself falling. And falling. Head over heels.

Far, far behind him, he heard his companions calling out, calling his name, but they eventually faded into the nothingness around him. He was moving fast, the wind of his descent burning his eyes until they watered. An eternity in the wind and darkness swept over him, and time had no meaning in this void.

Suddenly, there was a wall of light rushing up at him, making him cry out as it tore into his eyes. He burst through what felt like a raincloud, soaked to the bone and freezing. Blurs became solid masses as he careened off unforgiving objects (he'd later learn to be storage buildings), and hurtled full force into the ground. As he went, he heard and felt two snaps in his left leg and one in his right arm, causing him to scream in agony. The impact with the earth cut it off, thankfully.

Noctis lay there, fighting nausea, tears, hell to get the air back into his starved lungs. It rushed into him and he spasmed, upsetting his broken bones and making him scream raggedly again.

He finally stilled mostly, laying on the ground, staring up at the cloudy, darkened sky, and realized that it was raining.

"I-Iggy…" he croaked. "Put… the top… up… w-would you? G-gettin'… w… wet…"

Consciousness was slowly fading, the light narrowing in his vision. He blinked, muffled voices reaching his ears, the sound of footsteps splashing in puddles of water. He blinked again, long and slow, and when he was able to pry his eyes open again, he was looking up at raven hair and vivid blue eyes.

"Is that… me?" he wondered a moment before his chest stilled and he fell into the darkness completely.

When he woke sometime later, Noctis' first impulse was to groan, the sound echoing in his head. Above him, a bright white light glared into his burning eyes, spiking through his brain like needles. He lifted his right arm, remembering vaguely the sound of bones snapping in it, and noted that his bracer was gone. Dropping the hand heavily on his stomach, he felt unfamiliar fabric and realized he wasn't in his own clothes. Panic nipped at him, making his heart race.

His first bit of movement proved that one, his broken bones had been healed, and two, they still hurt like hell. His left leg throbbed, sending violent signals to his brain when he wiggled his toes. No boots, no socks. Lifting his head slightly off the pillow under it, his vision swam and he groaned, letting it fall back down.

"Hey, easy there Highness," a familiar voice spoke from his side. "Healing potions in this place work a bit different than we're used to."
Noctis felt his heart race, but for a different reason. He snapped his head to the side, trying to find the source of the voice, a voice he thought he'd never hear again once Insomnia went dark. The voice of a friend, a teacher, and protector. The movement made his stomach quake and it took all he had not to vomit all over himself.

"N… Nyx?" he whispered, blinking hard to clear his swimming vision. "Nyx… Ulric?"

The figure that stepped out of the shadows of the room was so familiar, so welcome, that Noctis felt his heart swell and shatter. The hair had grown in on the sides where once it was shaved, and the decorative braids were gone in favor of a short tail at the base of his neck. But the eyes, those dark blue unwavering eyes were the same. The smile was the same, too.

"Nyx…"

"Yes, Highness. It's me…" Nyx Ulric boldly took Noctis' hand in his, something he wouldn't have done so openly in the past. "You're alright. Just rest. I'll be here when you wake up."

Noctis went back to sleep with the name Nyx dancing on his tongue.

When he woke again, Nyx was still there, proving that he hadn't been dreaming as he'd feared. Noctis's head was a little clearer and the pain in his body wasn't so great. The Glaive helped him to sit up, shifting the bed so it would let him be more upright. He felt a little woozy, but the feeling passed and he let himself stare at Nyx, seated by the bed.

He wasn't wearing the Kingsglaive uniform Noctis was accustomed to seeing. He was wearing all black still, yes, but the cut and design were different, plainer fabric than the usual leather, less to show off rank or position in service. The whole ensemble was different, making Nyx still seem more like a dream than an actual person he could reach out and touch. As if seeing the thoughts and doubts on the Prince's face, Nyx reached out and took his hand in both of his own again.

"In case you're wondering," he said with a lopsided smile. "I convinced them to let me change your clothes."

Noctis felt his cheeks burn slightly, but he smiled back. "I appreciate that."

Nyx nodded, rubbing a thumb over Noct's wrist. "I figured there'd be some things you didn't want complete strangers to see."

His smile shifted slightly, but he kept eye contact with the older man. He really did appreciate Nyx for his discretion.

"Nyx… where… what… m-my dad…?"

The Glaive dropped his gaze to the floor, sighing softly. He had hoped to avoid this conversation for a while yet.

"Highness… Noct… please, not now. You need your rest." Nyx kept his voice low, but firm.

Noctis bit his lip and looked away, sulking. It might work on others, but Nyx was not Ignis Scientia, and that pout wasn't going to win him over.

"It's a long story," he explained. "And it's hard. I want you to be stronger before I tell you what happened. Be patient for me, Highness."

The Prince sighed, realizing he would get nowhere with Nyx. The man was a worse mental brick wall than Gladiolus. Thinking of his companions caused his heart to twinge, so he shifted his gaze back to Nyx once more.

"Okay… fine. Then tell me where I am."

Nyx sat back, shifting so he was only holding Noctis's hand in one of his own, the other settling on his thigh.

"This place is called Gaia. You're in a city called Midgar."
"Gaia? Not Eos?"

"No, Highness. You're a long, long way from Eos. And a fair amount of time. How long has it been since Insomnia fell?"

Noctis thought about it, having tried not to for so long that the time had sort of blurred in his memory. "Uh… couple weeks… maybe? Give or take. So much has been happening…"

"Weeks? Damn…" Nyx closed his eyes, rubbing his face. "Weeks. Just weeks. Gods be damned."

"Nyx?" Noctis squeezed his hand, trying to get his attention back. "What's up?"

"Nothing, Highness. It's nothing." Nyx tried to give him a smile. "You'll be happy to know, though," he got to his feet, letting Noctis's hand go, "that I can still do this…"

Holding his hands up, he settled into a ready stance. He dropped a wink that made Noctis's heart leap, and with a flick of his wrists and a burst of blue and yellow sparks, Nyx's Kukris appeared in his hands. He spun them around on his fingers before sheathing them, sending them away with another flick of his wrists.

"Wait… wait wait…" Noctis was confused. "The Glaive… they can… because of my father… but you said… you said…"

"I know what I said, Highness," Nyx sat back down, taking hold of the hand again. "I know. And I can't explain it, I really can't. But I can do that, and I can warp. It freaks some of the locals out, but it's come in handy while I've been here. But it also means that, when you're stronger and healthier, you'll be alright."

Noctis could feel the headache stirring in his brain, like Titan had taken up bowling across his cranium. He rubbed the bridge of his nose in such a way that Nyx was painfully reminded of the Prince's stoic advisor. Nyx bit his lip, waiting to see what the Prince would say about that revelation. It seemed, though, that Noctis could think of nothing to say for a long while. Nyx was alright with the silence. They'd been good at the silence in the past.

"Is there anyway I can get out of here?" Noctis finally said, his voice small. "I want some air. I need some air."

"Sure… there's a catch, though." Nyx jerked his head over his shoulder, motioning.

Noctis looked, a scowl marring his features. Near the door stood a wheelchair, much plainer than the one he'd been forced to use in Tenebrae, smaller too, but a wheelchair no less.

"I'm sure I can walk."

"And the doctors have said you can't. And in Midgar, we listen to the doctors."

Noctis could hear the smile in Nyx's voice, even if his lips refused to give it away. He was already going to get it before Noctis could even protest.

"Can I at least have MY clothes?" he whined, unable to think of anything else to say. "Where are my clothes?"

"They've been cleaned and put away for now," Nyx said patiently, parking the chair alongside the bed. "You're stuck in hospital fatigues for the moment, Highness. But I'll be sure to hide your bird legs with a blanket while we're out."

Noctis couldn't help but laugh at the informal treatment Nyx was giving him. Even back home, when the two of them had found themselves alone, Nyx would treat him just like anyone else. He was worse than Prompto about it, except the fact that Nyx remembered to call him 'Your Highness' once in a while.

Nyx slipped an arm under Noct's shoulders, the other under his knees. Noctis looped an arm around his neck for balance as the man easily lifted him from the bed. He could feel the more solidly formed muscles of the other beneath his clothes, and wondered how in the world Nyx had changed so much. It had only been a month at the most since they'd last been together. Up close now, he could see new lines on Nyx's face, as if he frowned too much these days. There was a new scar on his neck, just behind his ear, hidden partially in the hairline, and a few inches below that, another that crawled beneath the collar of his shirt. Noctis wondered if there were more.

He wondered if he'd be shown.

Nyx stopped moving, noticing how closely Noctis was looking at him. He knew why.

"We'll discuss it later," he said softly as reminder. "I promise."

Noctis sighed as he was settled into the chair, which was more comfortable than it looked, helping to tuck the light blanket around his waist and legs.

"Ready to go, Highness?" Nyx stood behind the chair, hands on the grips.

"Forward, Kingsglaive," Noctis responded, tilting his head back to look up at Nyx. "Show me this world called Gaia."

Looking down at Noctis, Nyx felt the strongest compulsion to kiss him, but he fought it. Now was not the time or the place. Noctis needed time, whether he knew it or not, to adjust to this place. To Gaia and Midgar, and the brand new political arena he was going to be thrown into. So instead, he winked at the Prince, and maneuvered him out the door.

"Time for the tour," he said, heading for the closest hall with a wall of windows in it.

Noctis felt his breath catch as he took his first look at the city of Midgar. Well, city might not be the word for it. Monstrosity, perhaps. The sun was out, riding high in the sky, gleaming on the two massive reactors he could see from the windows. He gasped, clutching the blanket tightly in his fists, eyes wide and watering. Something felt off… positively wrong… with what he was looking at. Something so distinctly disturbing that he began to shake so violently that Nyx was immediately on his knees in front of him, gripping his face gently in his hands.

"Highness… Noct… Noct! Look at me!" Nyx had to raise his voice slightly to draw those bright blue eyes to his own darks. "Look at me. Right here. Right here, baby, that's it…"

Slowly, Noctis came out of his fit, staring hard into Nyx's eyes. He tried to speak, but couldn't form words.

"I know," Nyx whispered, wiping tears Noctis wasn't even aware of way with his thumbs. "I know, I felt it too, the first time I saw them. And we'll talk about it later, when you're with me at my place and we're alone. I'm sorry I didn't warn you, Noct. I should have, but I didn't think…"

"G-g-get me… a-away from…" Noctis choked, fighting to keep his eyes on Nyx. "P-p-please…"

"Of course. Right away." Nyx turned the chair away, letting Noctis look at the blank wall before rising to stand behind it again. "I'm sorry."

Nyx went in search of something Noctis could see without panicking. He felt guilt prickle at him; he'd hoped that Noctis would be spared that, the feeling of wrongness and despair that seemed to rise up from the city. It wasn't just the city though, it was this whole planet really. Nyx had thought that the remaining affects of the Ring of the Lucii had made him sensitive to things he normally wouldn't notice, but since it seemed Noct had not come into contact with it yet, he supposed otherwise. He felt horrible for what he'd done to the Prince, but the further they got from the windows, the better the young man seemed to feel. He'd take that as a good sign, and plan better for the days to come.