Series: Part 1 of the Shattered Dreams Series
Art: Art by Gabriele-b on Deviantart
Soundtrack: Search "Fractured || FFXV" on Spotify
Related Fics:
Onus (A sort-of prequel, from Regis' perspective)
Fragments (One-shots and prompt fills that fit with this story)
Remnants (Part 2 of the Shattered Dreams Series)
Author's Notes: This fic is two stories twisted together: one follows the game's timeline and tells the story of a prince and princess coming to terms with death and destiny, while the other is the story of their lives before and everything that leads up to the beginning of the game. Bittersweet.
13 May, 756:
(Three days before)
"Something is wrong."
Had Noctis ever composed a list of phrases he never wanted to hear his twin sister say, that one would have been right up at the top, followed closely by 'Do your own work, Noctis'. Both of them sent cold tendrils of dread twisting up through his chest, as if he had missed a step going down and then plunged straight into an ice cold bath.
"What?" He spit the word out with nothing attached; he could just as well have asked half a dozen speculative questions, but that would have added fuel to the fire. Or ice to the bath, as the case may have been.
Reina was kneeling on her seat in the car between him and Gladio, her forearms resting along the back as she stared down the stretch of street, watching it lengthen between the Regalia and the Citadel. There was a furrow on her brow and a storm in her eyes. To look at her, one would have thought she expected never to see it again; the Citadel had been home to her for nearly twenty-one years. A few years longer than Noct, who had escaped from all the pomp and splendor as soon as he was permitted to.
"With Father." She didn't look at him. She just kept looking back, as if she could still see the king standing there, even though the steps were already fading and obscured by too much space.
Noctis let out a breath. The goosebumps subsided; he felt a little bit warmer. Never had he been so relieved to hear his sister talk about their dad.
"Oh. I thought you meant something real." Noctis shut his eyes and leaned his head back, coaxing his pulse back down to a normal rate.
"I mean it, Noctis! Didn't you notice?" This time she did turn. She shifted her body to face him, the storm in her eyes turning to fire in the second it took.
Unfortunately, there was very little space to kneel sideways in the middle seat of the Regalia, and it very nearly put her in Gladio's lap. Gladio, for some reason, apologized for this while trying to fit all of his bulk into half the space. Reina sat down in her own seat.
"Notice what?" Noctis groaned.
"Father."
"Don't usually pay that much attention. You seem to have it covered—ow!" Noctis rubbed his ribs where she had jabbed him. How she could make a single finger into a dagger without any magic he never had reasoned out.
"He was… worried." Reina faced forward, finally, folding her arms across her chest. The orientation change didn't stop her from shooting him a sideways glare. "And you were insufferable."
"He's always like that," said Noctis.
"The same could be said of you," Ignis observed from the front of the car.
"No one asked you, Specs," Noctis said, unperturbed.
"He is not! He isn't usually so grave—you didn't think that seemed weird? And he kept calling us back. Like he wanted to say something else but… couldn't."
"Ugh, give it a rest, Reina." Noctis shut his eyes again. "If you're going to do this all the way to Altissia, I'm putting headphones in."
He opened one eye just far enough to see the mutinous look that his twin sister gave him. Her jaw was set so tight that for a moment he feared her head would split in two. But only for a moment. Then he imagined how much quieter it would be and the possibility wasn't such a bad one.
Noctis turned to look over the side of the convertible as they sped across the bridge that cut over all of outer Insomnia and led straight outside the Crown City. Below them, buildings of cement and glass jutted up into the air, as if reaching for the bridge. It was just possible to make out some of the more brightly lit signs; there wasn't much reputable in the outer portion of the capital city, but it was all so closely packed together that it just looked interesting.
The Regalia slowed as they approached the west gate. It was always closed and guarded; not many people went through it or, he suspected, wanted to. But there was no trouble with their departure and, in a few moments, Noctis and his friends found themselves on the other side of the Wall, speeding away from the only home he had ever known. He leaned forward in his seat as they passed through; beyond was a great stretch of road with nothing on either side. He'd never seen so much nothing. There weren't even trees.
Reina turned in her seat and watched the gate close behind them, chewing her bottom lip. When it was closed she turned back around. In spite of the fact that her head was still intact, she remained quiet. Mad at him, most likely. Noctis glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. She sat facing forward, but her eyes weren't on the road. They were on her hands clasped in her lap. She dragged her thumb over the opposite palm, squeezing one hand in the other and then switching; a constant sort of motion, like she was trying to wash something unsettling off her hands.
"I want to go back," she whispered, not looking up.
"Huh? What for?" Noctis faced her.
She shook her head wordlessly. Predictable. Barely out of Insomnia and she was already homesick. He was the one that should have been nervous; it was his wedding they were on their way to. An arranged, political marriage, perhaps, but a wedding all the same. Mostly he avoided thinking about it.
Noctis leaned back in his seat and looked to the desert, "Dad told you to stay with me, anyway. He'd just send you away if you went back."
She turned to look at him and he realized with a start that her eyes were red-rimmed and over-shiny. Her mouth was set in a tight line, like she was afraid her lips would tremble if given the freedom to.
Noctis sat up, eyes widening. "Hey. Dad'll be fine without you for a few days, seriously—and we'll be back before you know it."
"Yeah…" Reina rubbed at her eyes and faced forward again. She didn't look like she believed him.
Noct sighed. He could make fun of her for being homesick all he wanted, but he knew that being away from Insomnia wasn't the real problem. And besides, it took all of the fun out if she was actually upset. He wrapped one arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a sideways hug. She stayed there.
"We get to see more of Lucis, and go to Altissia…" Noctis listed off a few of the things he and the other three had discussed the night before.
"And eat Ignis' cooking…" Prompto chimed in.
"See Noctis in a wedding dress…" Gladio said.
"You wish," Noctis scoffed.
Reina laughed. Mission accomplished. Noct shot Gladio a lopsided smile over her head before she sat up.
"It's been some while," Ignis said after a moment, "Do you remember the last time you saw Lady Lunafreya?"
"About twelve years ago." He remembered the last time he had seen her down to the last glimpse: the world wreathed in flame and a dozen Magitek soldiers closing in on them, blocking her from from view.
"That would make you… eight? You were kids," Prompto commented.
"Hope she hasn't gotten her hopes up," said Gladio.
"Why not?" Noctis asked.
In the driver's seat, Prompto laughed, not quite as focused on the road as Noctis and the other four passengers would have liked. He was going to get them all killed before they even hit Hammerhead.
"Calm yourself," Noct said.
"Try and keep it together when you meet her," Gladio told Noctis.
"She'll expect to see a fine young prince," Ignis added.
"Tell me something I don't know," Noctis said.
"We don't have time for all that," Ignis commented. "But this is your wedding we're talking about, Noct."
"Knew that, too."
Prompto chortled again.
"You really gotta calm down," said Noct.
"How do you feel about it?" Ignis pressed.
Everyone always wanted to know how he felt about things. Did it really matter? Under the treaty with the empire, he was getting married to Luna and his feelings weren't going to change that.
"Dunno."
But if he was perfectly honest, he was both excited and apprehensive to see her again. For the last twelve years all he'd had to remember her by were messages in a book passed back and forth. He certainly wasn't the same person he had been at eight, but he had a hard time picturing her as anything she hadn't always been: beautiful, brilliant, confident, and wise well beyond her years. What would she think of him, now? At least twelve years ago he'd had the whole 'cute child' thing in his favor. Even without any redeeming qualities, that was something. Now he didn't even have that.
"You haven't even thought about it, have you?" Asked Gladio.
Reina caught Noct's eye. She was the only one who knew any of that; she had guessed at his feelings back then and teased him endlessly. Recently, though, she had stopped. When he had heard the treaty decision a month ago, Reina hadn't asked Noct how he felt about marrying her. She had just shared her soda with him and said 'she'll still like you.'
And now they were in a car with his friends and she had a big mouth and the perfect opportunity.
Reina opened her mouth.
"Don't," Noctis warned.
She shut it again and flashed him a mischievous smile.
"Don't what?" Gladio asked.
"Nothing," said Noctis before she could get another word in.
"Does your sister know all your secrets, Noct? Tell us. Tell us!" Prompto bounced in his seat. Noctis sent a silent prayer to any Gods that were listening to see them safely to the next driver-change.
"Me? Betray my darling brother? I would never."
"Yeah, right," Noct groaned. Next thing she would be demanding things from him in payment for her silence.
Prompto laughed again. The Regalia wobbled in her lane.
"Prompto—" There was a bang before Noct could tell him to drive properly or let Ignis drive. A cloud of black smoke issued from the back of his father's car.
"Uh… uh-oh," said Prompto, looking down at the unresponsive pedals.
"What do you mean 'uh-oh'?" Gladio asked.
"I think I know," Noct sighed.