Night and Day
Chapter I
In the Beginning, there were twins
Twenty Years Ago…
There were many trials and fears a king must face, whether it be a beast that threatened to tear apart his men, the heavy weight of a choice to be made by the king or how would he deal with the war itself with the empire.
Today brought forth a new trial he hadn't been prepared for, something that would change his life for hopefully the better. As he paced for what felt like hours down the hall but never going to far from the door that led into the patient's room. The sounds of beeping monitors from within in, the sounds of other patients and nurses down the hallway along with the intercom booming above him.
'Regis for the love of the Astrals would you PLEASE sit down?', begged Clarus, finally looking up from his book to look at his king.
Regis turned to his Shield with a look that said he was just waiting for an explosion or something equally as terrible. 'I cannot! Aulea is in there and all I can do is wait!', he said, running a hand through his luscious black hair before he resumed his pacing. Clarus let of a groan as he returned to his book, hoping he'll be so invested enough he'll drown out the noises of the continuous footsteps of his king.
The king let a shuddering breath once he heard his wife wail in pain from behind that wooden door, wishing desperately he was in there to hold her hand and continue to encourage her. But no, he was forced out for the doctors to ensure the procedure would go smoothly.
The day had finally arrived after nearly a year of waiting, all the highs and lows, the mood swings, cravings and constant complaints of her back pains and hearing her repeatedly stating she was fat. Today they would finally meet their child, after so long of waiting and all the months planning, would finally grant them mercy, more so for his wife. Just before his majesty would have a break down, a nurse opened the door followed by the doctor.
'Your highness?', he asked.
Regis immediately turned to the doctor, doing everything in his power to maintain his kingly composure and stature, his face showing worry for his wife. The doctor merely gestured the door with a bow and said nothing more. Bracing himself, the king entered the room with Clarus closing his book, hearing a distinct "about time" uttered from his shield.
In the room, blessed by the beautiful sunlight that bathed the room in a genuine air of warmth, his wife resting in the bed carrying not one, but two bundles in her arms, beaming down on them in a glow that he believed only a new mother could have.
Her beautiful black hair was flowing with the bangs stuck to her forehead in sweat, circles under her eyes show casing the weariness she was under but not since he asked for her hand in marriage did her ever seen her so happy, her cobalt coloured eyes glowing with love and warmth for her new born children. She gazed to her husband, who suddenly froze upon meeting her gaze. Her smiles warmed as she gestured him to meet his children.
Taking a seat near the bed, he leaned in to see two new royal members, small tuffs of hair upon their foreheads with sky blue eyes looking up at their parents.
'A son and daughter', Aulea whispered, almost unable to believe that the two miracles were their own flesh and blood. Slowly the boy looked up at Regis, who smiled in response to him.
Then, he outstretched his little pudgy hands to him, making small noises. Aulea smiled as she helped Regis hold him, so carefully as if the child was made of glass. The king gently brushed his finger across his nose, but to his surprise the baby gripped his finger, as tight as a new born could grip.
'Perfect, they're perfect', Regis mused in such a loving one Aulea had only heard once on their wedding day. The voice of father to be was such a beautiful tone she locked the tone in her memories for life. 'We need to name them dear', she mused.
'Noctis Lucius Caelum', he said.
'Sol Lucius Caelum', Aulea mused.
The babies giggled and made their native noises as the two new parents smiled at each other.
Seven years later…
Giggling, Sol peeked above her hiding spot in search for her brother in the gardens. Hiding behind a hedge as she spots Noctis carefully look around for his sister, she giggled when she saw the frustration in his baby face, that infamous pout of his she loved to put on his face.
Sol ducked down to hide when she saw him turn to her direction, putting her small hands to her lips to keep back the giggles that threatened to give away her position. But as she was just about to peek again, suddenly Noctis' face pierced through the foliage with a massive grin. The princess shrieked as Noctis pounced on her with a cry, tacking her into the dirt.
'Ah ha! Got ya!', he said with that smug victorious look on his face.
'No fair!', she whined.
'Noctis, Sol?', called their mother.
The two scampered out of the hedge and were kneeling before their mother, who was looking at them with a bemused look. No doubt she was looking at how dirty their got, both caked in dirt and mud with bits of leaves and other green stuck in their hair and clothes. Sol's beautifully groomed and brushed hair all ruffled while her son had plenty of mud on his cheeks. She let out a small giggle as the two sheepishly looked at their mother.
'Two hours and forty-six seconds my dear', she cooed as she turned to see her husband approaching his family. The children heard him groan before shaking his head at the two. 'You couldn't stay off the urge to get filthy for another six-teen minutes?', he asked with a raised brow.
The two royal children giggled at him as the parents sat down to join their kids, Noctis immediately climbing on his father's laps while Sol sat on her mother's. Regis chuckled as Noctis settled into his father's chest, inhaling the familiar cologne he always wore while Aulea was already fixing her daughter's hair.
Regis just smiled in peace seeing his family in serenity, a reprieve from the stress of politics and ruling their city, without the fear of the empire breathing down their necks. With his children and wife, all together like a normal family.
But, his wife coughed.
He turned to see her place a hand on her lips to hold back the cough. Their daughter turned to her with worry like her brother, who clutched his father's jacket with fear. Aulea gasped and shuddered, before she turned to her worried family with a tired smile.
'I'm sorry, just a bit under the weather is all', she assured. Sol let out a worried whimper as she nested herself on her mother's lap with worry in her beautiful eyes while Noctis looked to his father for assurance. He bit his inner cheek before showing his some a warm smile while petting him.
'Your mother is far stronger than you believe my boy, just a small cough', he said soothingly. One shared glance between the two rulers of the Insomnia showed the undying love between them, and a sign of worry. Aulea just smiled at her husband in thanks, before she returned her gaze to her children with playful smiles and tickling her daughter's side while Noctis looked at Regis with curiosity. He just smiled down at his son, ruffling his raven locks lovingly.
Cherishing these moments…
One year later…
Never before had he ever felt this level of terror, even during his battles against the empire. The car could not go fast enough, if he wasn't so worn from using the ring of Lucis he'd use Armiger and just fly towards his destination. The fires brightly illuminating their path to the large pillar of smoke slithering into the night.
Finally, the cars arrived on the scene and Regis all but burst out of his car and rushed onto the field. The large daemon that stood tall over its kills and destroyed cars, a woman's body bound with a large serpent end, brandishing six large swords with green hair and purple-blue skin. It bore its teeth at Regis, but the king's gaze fell upon a trio of bodies that were inches away from the beast.
His wife and children, all in a pool of blood.
Regis' eyes darkened at the beast as the air swirled around him until finally with a growl, the king summoned six of his ancestors' weapons in the air, swirling around him like a cyclone. He dashed forward to the beast, the crystal weapons clashing against the daemon's swords with equal ferocity and speed. Steel clashing with crystalized weapons with blinding speed, Regis merely walked towards the beast, rage burning in his eyes as the daemon was forced to take its own steps backwards.
Finally at the edge of the cliff, their weapons ended with a deadlock, the large enraged beast snarled and roared as it tried to push Regis' weapons off it but even though the strain using so many weapons in one go coupled by his age, the king refused to relent for even a second. With one gesture of his hand, he brought his crystal axe up and slashed the beast across its face. The blow was enough for it to stumble down the cliff, it's cries of rage and pain dulling and fading away.
Panting, the king turned to his family as members of the guard tended to them. Not wasting another moment Regis approached them and knelt down to his family, his son staring up at the skies with a dazed look like his sister, though she twitched and shook, both them caked in blood. Aulea…
His eyes felt the moisture build in them upon looking at his wife's form, her back slashed so deeply and so much blood had been lost, she was staring lifelessly at her children. No doubt she had taken the blow to protect them, though they were harmed if she hadn't they'd suffer the same fate. Regis placed his hand on her shoulder as he lowered his head in defeat, tears freely running down his cheeks before he with a shuddered breath, closed his wife's eyes for one final time.
His children needed him now more than ever…
*Three Months Later*
Time felt like it just grew more longer and slower for the king, watching over his sleeping children in silence. The medics had assured they were alright but the comas were to be expected to take much longer than he'd feared, his two remaining family members sleeping away.
Noctis and Sol were in one bed, a carbuncle for his son and a moogle for his daughter, remembering them being true animal lovers to these creatures. The only things that could help soothe the king and make him feel like he was doing something to help them, a small comfort he believed. Yet as time went on, watching them slowly breathe but remain as still as statues more and more doubt begun to plague his mind.
Would his children ever awaken? Did Aulea give her life for nothing? Had he failed as a father to protect and watch over them?
He placed his head in his hands, a deep sigh escaped his lips as he made those questions fade into his mind, desperately looking for something to keep his mind off the-
'Fa-father…?'.
Regis looked up to see Sol's cobalt eyes flutter open, her voice so dry and tired. Regis let out a gasp of relief as Noctis' own eyes pried open, both children faced their father with confusion and exhaustion. Without another word, the king wrapped them both into a tight hug, choking back a sob as his children hugged him back.
'Where's mom?', Noctis asked, looking around weakly for her.
'Your mother…is gone', Regis said.
Regis had never before heard a sadder sound, than his own children's cries.
*After Omen*
Death looming over his head as he exited the chamber of the crystal, his breathing slowed and shaky as he wiped the sweat from his forehead. The empty corridor was empty, the only light that shined was the moon from the large windows bathing the tired king in luminous light.
A price to pay to grant his children the power to fulfil their destinies, the chosen king. Sol's own destiny was shrouded in shadow but Regis was absolutely certain his daughter would figure it out, she always did.
Entering the family room, he spotted his children playing on the carpet with Noctis flailing his toy sword against Sol's toy staff, both freezing upon see their father. Far past their bed time Regis mused as he smirked at the two's sheepish grins. Making the most of what little time he had, Regis merely said "story time" and immediately the twins hopped onto the bed and awaited eagerly for their father to regale them in a tale.
Smiling as he nestled between his two most precious people in his life, though he knew of the trials they will face in time, Regis just smiled and regaled them in a tale.
The children listened intently and with their eyes glued to their father's book, they never saw the tears within his eyes.
A/N: So I'm back…
Long story short, my hard drive died out and all my previous stories are gone. So I had time to muse and ponder and I decided to redo the tale I had in mind with more than just the main story and throwing in OC's for compensation of unoriginal plot.
I'm gonna be deleting the old version by the end of the month so just a heads up. I'll try and maintain a more consistent schedule and update more frequently with shorts and one shots. So thanks for the patience and support.
Stay awesome but most importantly stay safe!
