Alternate Synopsis

Captain Lucian Hewitt, while kind and gentle, showed little passion for the world and its wonders until his brigade was sent to mediate with the elves. In spite of the tension between the human and fairy races, one elf was eager to befriend him. But with the fairy creatures bent on destroying the human race, and humans fighting to overturn the prophecy and affirm their place in the world, they're swept into a war as old as Tottaus itself.

Disclaimer

Radiata Stories © Square Enix and TriAce. Some of the canon cast and settings are given definition that they did not have in the game, or re-interpreted to fit the timeline. The fan characters are mine, except the dark elf Ledert who belongs to DeviantArt user Artistic-Twist (formerly ArtsyDragon), and will later be adapted to original fiction.

Please give the fan characters a chance, or even read this to cry Sue/Stu, but don't pass this up because of them. They fill the roles that mortal canon characters cannot. If I've failed them, I need to know where and how. But if you enjoy them, you'll be glad you didn't skip this. ;3

Chapter One - Please Be Professional

Gil sat on the stone wall around the City of Flowers with his feather quill and leaf and grass bound notebook in hand. He scrawled a few more verses before tapping the feather against his lips. He looked around the elf region, at the bubble froggers, the gobpakkens, and the armored humans. His eyes grew wide. He dropped his quill and notebook, got up, and moved nearer to the edge of the wall. "Lord Cepheid, Lady Faunus, look!" he cried, glancing to the figures behind him, and then back at the trio approaching their home, "humans!"

Cepheid floated near to where Gil knelt and examined the strangers below. He nodded to Gil.

Faunus frowned. "Why didn't they send Lady Lorant?"

"Perhaps she is preoccupied," Cepheid said.

At the crevice beneath them, Gil spied the guards already present and waiting for the humans to reach them. The older guard, Lord Nogueira's brother Zane, stiffly watched them approach. The smaller elf on the other side of the crevice, Valko, leaned against the stone wall, and seemed not to pay any mind either to Zane or the approaching humans.

"Good morning," called the tallest human when they were near enough not to shout. "I am Captain Lucian Hewitt. We are the Argent Erable brigade, and—"

"You're not welcome here," Zane snapped.

Lucian shook his head and said, "We would appreciate a moment to speak with Lord Nogueira."

"My brother will not have an audience with you," Zane insisted, raising his arms as if in defense.

Although the brigade had stopped, they made no effort to turn and leave. Gil studied the knights. The captain looked older. The placating smile on his features, and the soft, smooth tone of his voice reminded Gil of Cepheid. The captain, Gil decided, was gentle and kind. The brunette behind the captain had his head cocked to one side, and although his lips were pressed together he seemed anxious to speak. The way the brunette regarded Zane in the stalemate below, though rightly Zane was not kind in the least to them, made Gil uncomfortable to watch. He quickly turned his attention upon the last knight. It was a woman—no, a girl. She looked as old as he was, a child among adults. In spite of the already apparent tension, she smiled broadly. She had her arms wrapped about herself in what Gil's mind could only describe as a self-embrace. It was poorly veiled enthusiasm, and it occurred to Gil then that she might be as excited to see the elves as he was to see the knights.

"I don't get it," the brunette huffed, "what's the big deal?"

Zane stepped forward, his arms rising as though he would shout with both his voice and body.

"Coty," the captain said, the smile having fallen from his features, "that was unnecessary. Please restrain yourself."

Zane let his arms fall, and said nothing.

"Sorry, Captain," the knight conceded, averting his gaze from Zane's.

The captain shook his head, and glanced over his shoulder to the outspoken knight. "I'm not the one to whom you should apologize."

The knight seemed to hesitate, his eyes flicking back to Zane's, at which Zane stared directly into the eyes of the brunette and replied, "Don't waste your breath, human." He turned his attention back upon the captain. "Leave," he told them, "I have nothing more to say to you." Gil gaped at Zane. The elder elf didn't even wait for a reply before floating up from the ground and onto the wall near where Gil knelt.

"What do we do now, Captain?" the girl asked. Her cheer had also soured. The sort of self-embrace she had carried had sunk until her arms were crossed before her.

The captain looked up at the edge of the wall, as if to search for Zane. Gil realized too late that he was visible as the captain's eyes came to rest on his. The human smiled anew at the sight of him, and Gil squeaked and withdrew from his perch.

"Sorry for the trouble," came only voice yet unspoken below. Gil leaned back near the edge to see Valko standing upright and addressing the knights.

The captain again shook his head. "It's all right," he assured, "I understand. General Lorant is ill, so we were sent in her stead, but we do not have the trust of the elves as she does."

Valko nodded. He glanced up at the company on the wall, and though he didn't look at Gil, his eyes lingered there a moment before he gestured for the captain to come closer. Gil cupped a hand behind his ear to hear Valko's murmured words, but it was not enough even to hear the rasp of their breaths.

"Thank you," the captain said. He turned back to his brigade, and led the way back towards the Cuatour region.

Gil quickly looked to the figure standing beside him. "Lord Cepheid, what did Valko say?" he asked. "Did you hear him?"

Cepheid smiled. Gil knew that even in a light elf form, Lord Cepheid could hear whispers on the wind that he and other light elves could not. "He told them to visit the Forest Metropolis and speak with Vesper, the dark elf elder," came the reply, "and that he would send Nogueira to meet them there."

"Send Lord Nogueira?" Gil gasped. "Won't that make Zane angry?"

Cepheid shook his head. "Word will reach Nogueira one way or another, seedling, and he will go," Cepheid assured. "How Zane feels about it is irrelevant."

Gil didn't believe that Zane's opinion could so easily be dismissed. He turned to Lady Faunus to see if she supported what Lord Cepheid suggested, but Faunus was out of sight. When he redirected his attention back to Cepheid, he found the older figure also retreating into the City of Flowers.

"Lord Cepheid," Gil called, "wait for me!"

He collected his quill, ink, and notebook, and followed the larger light elf form into the city. Cepheid led the way over several of the elves' grass huts to the one at the peak within the wall's bounds. It was the elder's residence, and the most likely place for them to find Lord Nogueira. Cepheid set his feet on the ground outside the hut, and pulled the grass veil aside. As Gil landed behind him, Cepheid gestured inside. Both Zane and Faunus were already there, but Valko hadn't come.

"Brother, why?" Zane hissed. "Why do you insist on dealing with those wretched humans?"

"Interracial relations, especially with humans, are of the utmost importance," the light elf leader replied. "Do you want another war?"

"No, but..."

Lord Nogueira stepped towards Zane and took him by the arm. "I understand your concern," he said, "but ignoring them will only invite trouble."

Gil hugged his writing tools close, and stepped back towards the grass veil. These were serious matters, and he was sure he was intruding. He gasped as his wings came against the figure behind him, and he glanced back at Lord Cepheid. Cepheid placed a hand on Gil's shoulder and gave it a light squeeze, directing him further inside.

"I'll go," Nogueira stated. "I see no harm in speaking with them, and at the very least we should see what they want."

"Fine," Zane conceded, his shoulders drooping, "but be careful, brother."

Nogueira nodded to Zane before glancing around him to Gil and Cepheid. Gil withdrew further into the larger figure behind him.

"Lord Cepheid," the light elf leader greeted, "is there something I can do for you?"

Cepheid gave Gil's shoulder another reassuring squeeze. "When you go," he said, "I would like you to take him with you."

Nogueira's gaze fixed on Gil. It dawned on Gil then whom Cepheid meant to send along, and his heart sank into the pit of his stomach. He pulled away from the hold on his shoulder, gripping his tools tighter to his person and staring up at the larger figure. "Lord Cepheid, why?"

In response, Cepheid simply smiled.

It was well into the afternoon when the knights reached the Nowem region, and now as they drew near the Forest Metropolis it was almost dusk.

"Captain," Coty called, "how much farther?"

"We're almost there," Lucian replied.

"We're gonna be stuck out here all night," the brunette huffed.

Lucian chuckled. "We would have been anyway, Coty. Our mission was to visit both the City of Flowers and the Forest Metropolis." He glanced over one shoulder to the brunette and added, "Look on the bright side. We might only have to explain ourselves once."

Coty rolled his eyes.

Lucian looked over his other shoulder to the other knight. "Emilia," he said, "you've been awfully quiet since we left the City of Flowers."

"Oh," she acknowledged, "sorry, Captain."

"What's on your mind?"

"The elves," Coty answered for her. "She was making eyes at the shorter one."

"I can't help it," Emilia said. "Who knew the elves would be so—"

"Rude?"

"Perfect."

"I don't believe you," Coty snapped. "How could you like them? I mean, I'm sure they don't like you."

Emilia set her knuckles on her hip, and turned her nose in the air. "You're just jealous."

"Jealous of what?"

"Their porcelain pale skin—"

"Hah."

"—their thick hair, their fashion, and their eyes—oh, did you see them, Coty? The white of their eyes isn't white at all!"

"Yeah, I saw that," Coty replied. "It's creepy."

"Well, I think they're beautiful," Emilia said. "Unlike you."

Lucian slowed until he walked beside the younger knights in his brigade, falling in step between them. "That's enough, you two," he scolded, looking to each of them in turn. "Bicker all you like when we've returned to Radiata, but for now please be professional."

"Sorry, Captain," the knights uttered in unison.

The remainder of the trek to the Forest Metropolis was peaceful, and delightful to watch as the evening sun reflected on the Nowem River in bright red and gold, and shone between boughs filled with colorful leaves. It wasn't until the front door of the Forest Metropolis was in sight that they finally saw dark elves in the forest. Two of them were bent over the edge of the river, one with short, blonde hair, and the other with long, red hair. Lucian couldn't quite see what they were doing.

"Hello," he called.

The figures both looked back in the direction of the knights. The blonde stood first, and the red head seemed to stay partially concealed behind her.

"Hi," the blonde replied.

"We're looking for the dark elf elder," Lucian continued, "maybe you can help us."

The girl crouched low and collected a few things Lucian still could not see before making her way through the bush towards him and his brigade. The pallor of her hair contrasted well with the dark tone of her skin, and it was decorated with wooden beads that were similar to those of the bracelets she wore. Dangling by its drawstrings from the girl's fingers was a leather pouch.

When she reached the edge of the path, she asked, "Is that all?"

"Yes," Lucian said, "that's all."

"I'd be glad to," she replied. She glanced back to the river where her companion still stood. "Come on, Ledert."

The other elf hesitated, glancing down into the water before leaving the riverbank to join them on the path. The girl who had already joined them, however, was already making her way towards the entrance to the Forest Metropolis. Lucian walked briskly until he had caught up with her.

"So you're knights, huh?" the blonde asked.

"Yes," Lucian replied, "we are the Argent Erable brigade."

"Are you the captain?"

"Yes."

"That's so cool," she sighed. She beamed at him, craning her neck to meet him eye-to-eye. She was almost as short as Emilia was. "I'm Samara," she stated, and then she pulled the other elf close to her, "and this is Ledert."

"Hi," the redheaded elf commented, waving to Lucian and the knights behind them.

"I'm Lucian," he replied, and then he gestured to the two knights behind them and named Coty and Emilia in turn.

Although dusk had fallen and the sky grew dark, they found the inside of the metropolis filled with a golden glow. Fixtures embedded in the walls gave off that warm light as if by magic, and they weren't the only inviting quality. From deeper in the metropolis, Lucian could hear music. He glanced back to Emilia, whose eyes were on the ground, and arms were at her sides. She didn't seem to enjoy the unusual surroundings. Coty, however, grinned when Lucian glanced to him. He pressed his lips down from the grin into a smile, but he was still bright-eyed and searching for things at which to marvel, like the bubbles of energy the lamps emitted. He began to reach for one of them when he glanced back to find Lucian still watching him, and quickly set to adjusting his armor instead.

As they walked through the main foyer, Ledert walked ahead of them. Though the redheaded elf was moving much quicker, up a flight of stairs and seeming to leave the group, Samara still lead them in the same direction. Lucian felt as though somewhere in there he had missed an exchange between the girls, but thought little more of it. He found that most of the dark elves had set aside what they were doing to watch the knights pass through. Unlike the hardened stare they faced from the elder light elf sentry at the entrance to the City of Flowers, the dark elves in the Forest Metropolis simply watched.

"Wow," Samara remarked.

Lucian snapped back to her. Although he hadn't meant to do it, returning the gazes of the dark elves scattered about the foyer meant pitting his back almost completely to their guide. "What is it?" he asked.

Samara put a hand on his shoulder and walked around him. Lucian glanced after her, but she held him still as she said, "You have a lot of hair."

Behind them, Coty snickered, and Lucian couldn't help but smile in turn. "I do," he admitted.

"I like it," Samara said. She strolled ahead of the knights, her hands clasped behind her back, as she led them upstairs. She was leading them closer to the music, Lucian noted, and the closer they got, the more she seemed to step in time with the beat.

Although Samara was headed around a bend and up another flight of stairs, Lucian paused to get a better look at the performers. There was a drummer and a guitarist. The former, Emilia might have been staring at from behind Lucian. The drummer's open vest revealed a stomach about as well toned as Coty's. But at the latter, Lucian raised a brow. The mohawk on the guitarist's head belied the simple, goofy smile on his cheeks. Both performers seemed absorbed in the music until the drummer looked towards the knights. It was difficult to tell while there was still some distance between them, but when the drummer stopped he seemed to grip the drumstick in his upraised hand. It didn't take long for the guitarist to stop in turn.

"Aw, guys," Samara whined, stepping back down the stairs to poke her head around the corner, "why'd you stop?"

The drummer began to twirl the other drumstick around his fingers, making no effort to resume playing. The guitarist looked from the drummer, to the knights, and back. From where he sat, he shifted closer to the drummer, turned in the other performer's direction, and kicked his stool. The drummer glared at the guitarist, and the guitarist stuck out his lower lip in a pout.

"Good evening," came a voice near where the knights stood.

Lucian looked to the top of the stairwell. "Evening," he replied, nodding.

The dark elf's brow creased as she eyed the knights. She ran a hand through the gray of her hair, tucking it behind her ear, and gestured for the knights to join her upstairs. Lucian stepped around Samara, and then around Ledert as the redhead made her way downstairs. He glanced back down as she passed, to find Emilia and Coty following him, and the elf girls making their way to the performers. By the time Lucian reached the top of the stairs, the music had resumed, but he could no longer see the performers. He was disappointed not to see how the conflict had been resolved.

The woman at the top of the stairs cleared her throat, snapping Lucian's attention back to her. "I assume you're going to tell us why you're here."

Author's Note

Every time I've played the game since starting this, I realize how different I've made young!Gil. For the record, sabotaging his character is delightful and I encourage you all to try it sometime. :3 But realistically, a thousand years in the past, people and places are different. Through this, I aim to build Gil's skill and confidence as a poet and motivation as an assassin (the latter he is not yet).

I have a folder on deviantArt filled with drawings and such relating to the story. There's a link on my profile~ Feedback is appreciated, especially criticism, but not necessary. In the next chapter, there will be awkward plot advancement, Lucian's amazing hair, and more tiny, adorable Gil. Oh, and wine. Delicious elven wine...