Welcome to 'Break of Nocturne', my first masterpiece of 2010! I thank you for your support of this journey. Please note a few things before you dive right in.
Warning: As information on Final Fantasy Versus is severely limited, I will NOT be using the storyline intended for the game. Certain elements will be used from the original storyline, but the storyline itself will NOT be fully utilized.
I will also not utilize certain characters in their original roles (Cid being one of them). In addition, Noctis' friends will have names pulled from my imagination (Jayce being the name of the Roxas look-a-like), as their true names are unknown as of late. If anyone happens to know the name of Noctis' closest friends, please alert me.
Fate, destiny and time assume indeterminable shapes.
No one can control them, let alone fathom them. They are indescribable, inescapable labyrinths plastered across eternity. The riddles I seek answers to plague my mind to no end, taunting me even as I drift through slumber. The origin of our world bewilders me, even as I instill my steps into our precious soil.
The origin of our world evades me. I cannot fathom how eternity works its magic, or how mere mortals can handle its vast magnitude. Although our crystals hold memories of our legends, the birth of this glorious realm escapes me. So many legends gave form to this world, and I hold them close to our heart. My labyrinth taunts me, but I will forever recite legends in my inner chambers, and my heart will forever remain joyous.
The crystals of fate endowed our world with air. Our legends were given life through the crystals, enabled with the ability to handle fate. Warriors of unparalleled prowess poured life into our future, paving the road for warriors to come. Crystals have been a part of tale, allowing us to spread our wings without the slightest obstacle. Sadly, our crystals have been tainted as of late. Our air has been corrupted, riddled with unimaginable poison. Our world's pain is breaking my heart.
There is another legend I hold to my heart. Along with the legends of the past, I hold a legend of the future. It is the legend of complete and utter salvation. It is the legend of liberation and miraculous healing. Our kingdom is plagued with the blackest poison, but it is due for restoration.
A messiah will heal us, accompanied by our beloved prince.
It has been written. A bird on silver wings will come to our aid, and rid our world of pain. That bird, our savior, will be in the form of an outsider. A shard of another world will merge with a shard of our world, in the hopes of cleansing the earth I sink my feet into. This legend has been passed down through generations, and has been planted on the shoulders of our prince. Prince Noctis Caelum has been charged with bringing forth the Reform. The Reform will shape our world, give it life. In order to initiate the Reform, he must seek our destined messiah. Together, they will encircle all worlds and erase darkness. I fear the cost of such salvation, though. That great of a destiny cannot come at an easy price.
Our prince shares my discomfort. He has been uneasy as of late, hardly able to keep himself still. He says little, and thinks frequently of his fate. I have noticed how he confides in his companions, two of them in particular. However, those companions have brought him little comfort. Although he seeks their voices frequently, he cannot remain still.
I believe he fears for the Messiah, and not his own life. He thinks little of himself. His friends constantly assure him of security, but he fails to believe in their optimism. The Messiah hails from another world, and he does not wish to drag an outsider into our matters. I do not wish to do so either, but if this predicament isn't deal with, I'm afraid all worlds will be swallowed whole.
I am frightened. I hope my predicaments are not premature, or immature. Regardless of the idiocy behind this, I must speak these words. I not only fear for our kingdom, but for our prince's heart. There are things I have seen, things I cannot afford to share with anyone-even Noctis. I have seen shadows of deception, guilt and overwhelming grief. I have felt the gales of vast sorrow. I have seen shadows fall from one of the prince's companions, and I am frightened.
That particular companion goes by the name of Stella. I do not know her origin, but she hails from another kingdom. She is close to our prince-immeasurably close. I do not know the full extent of their bond, but I know it is deep-painfully deep.
Perhaps she is a shard of our prince's concern.
Our prince's heart is in grave danger.
I wish I could share my concerns. I wish I could speak to the prince of my fears, but I cannot. Doing so would interfere with the waves of time, and the waves of fate. Interfering with either of Heaven's forces would be inexcusable, regardless of fate's great weight.
I am afraid. I fear for both the prince and his Messiah.
-Cid
Dizziness punched him as soon as he awakened. Life did not welcome him as he opened his eyes, struggling to make the difference between directions. He ran a hand through his short, dark cerulean locks as life rushed into his eyes. His awakening was brought on by a rather cheerful shard of his life, and it was not the type of awakening he expected. Being greeted by a friend was a joyous experience, though, and much appreciated. The night hadn't been the least bit kind to him.
"Hey there! It's about time!"
He rubbed at his eyes, presenting his friend with a groggy but warm smile. "How did you get in?" he asked, feeling as if he had landed on a completely different planet. Rising to reality was a disorienting experience.
His friend was rather proud of his accomplishment. Beaming from ear to ear, he was the perfect personification of a jolly morning. "I came in through your heart," he said, using the magic of exaggerated adoration. "You let me in, and I answered your call for love."
"Quit being an idiot, Jayce."
"Can't quit. It's my day job, Your Highness," Jayce retaliated with a casual shrug, eyes twinkling with merriment. The brown-haired, muscular youth rose from his friend's bed, speaking without a care on his shoulders. "You keep your job of being a stick in the mud, and I'll keep mine."
Prince Noctis Caelum released a soft sigh. "Remind me to take my key back," he said gently, not really bearing the desire to deprive Jayce of his key. "What dragged you in here, other than the qualifications for your job?"
Jayce's face lost a bit of its luster, adopting the somber glow of a silent night. He and Noctis stared at each other, not uttering a single syllable. They challenged each other, lying in wait to see who would break the silence. Noctis quickly gave in with a miserable sigh. "It's the same dream, over and over," he said, wishing he didn't have to address the topic at hand.
"I've tried a thousand times to make sense of something-anything-but it just hasn't happened yet. One thing's for certain, though. I can't stop worrying about him."
His brown-haired companion took a seat, smiling with the roguish charm of a feline. "What is it you're seeing, exactly?" he asked, folding his arms. "You've said you've had the same dream for four nights now, and the time for departure is fast approaching. Have you been seeing the Messiah?"
The young sovereign nodded, face adopting an age that betrayed his true one. "I can't make out his face, or his name, but he's there," he said, voice heavy with fearful anticipation. He grimaced, still trying to make sense of a labyrinth that had plagued him for ages on end. "Espers have him surrounded. I try to reach him but can't."
"So you know it's a 'him'?"
A scowl blossomed on the prince's face, giving him the look of a disgusted infant. "Yep, the Messiah's a guy," he answered, as a troublesome student would answer a rigid professor. "What does that have to do with anything?"
Jayce looked like a cat with a canary. "Oh, nothing," he said, stifling laughter. "What of this guy? Know anything else about him?"
"I told you I don't, moron," the prince playfully snarled, eyes forming a smile. "I hardly know anything, other than our duty. I do know this, though. He's in danger and I have to help him."
"When are we leaving?" the other male asked, all child-like qualities gone. He was all business, ready and eager to provide his friend with the assistance he needed-even if it was against his friend's wishes. Noctis grimaced as if he had been forced to eat lemony cockroaches, wishing his friend-and all of his other friends-would take back a certain wish.
"As soon as the counsel figures out the identity of our Messiah. If I had the chance to take flight on my own, and track him down, I would have taken that chance long ago. As things are, though, I'm doomed to sit and wait."
The mere thought of patience drove a dagger into Noctis' heart. With another sigh, he sent his hand to his forehead. "As much as I hate to say this, I don't have the foggiest clue on what they're doing," he said, rubbing at his eyelid. He took a moment of silence to regain his grip on reality, only to remember he didn't have a grip to begin with. "For all I know, they could be on the Messiah at this very moment."
Jayce ruffled a set of spiky blue tresses. "And the sky could be falling," he said with a chuckle. "Man, you're too much sometimes. Don't give the opposing team so much credit! If answers were so easy to find, we'd already have them! Both of our teams would be in there, tackling every guy that tries to cross us. You have to give the stream of fate some credit!"
The look on Noctis' face didn't lighten the atmosphere. At least it brought on a question that would shed light on an inch of darkness. "Is this guy completely helpless?" Jayce asked gently, face radiant with concern. Noctis looked at him as if he had shoved a black, mushy banana into his mouth.
"If you're asking about his prowess with magic, he's completely out of the ring. Remember, he's an outsider. He's not from our neck of the woods. I'll have to protect him with everything I've got."
"Don't tell me you're developing stage fright. I won't buy it."
"Buy it or don't buy it. I don't care," Noctis retaliated with a frail smile. "It's on sale. I've got a pretty big agenda on my hands, and it's not one I asked for. It was just given to me."
Silence walked between them for a moment. Adoration spread across Jayce's face as a bird would soar into crystal blue skies, emerging as a result of Noctis' last words. "I know this is a stupid question, but are you in the mood for breakfast?" he asked, unable to keep chuckles out of his words. The instant reaction was a sharp, fiery glare.
"I know I've been eating like a mouse, but no. I'm not. Thanks for asking, though."
"Sheesh. I've never seen you in such a hurry to meet someone."
"You do know that we have to combine forces to save our world, right? And possibly every other world?"
Jayce put on the grin of a giddy toddler. "Oh, I haven't forgotten the story," he said, speaking with sugary-sweet innocence. "And I'll be right there to see it all unfold."
Without warning, let alone another word, the brown-haired swordsman yanked Noctis from his warm haven. "Come on," he said, speaking in the tone of a doting mother. "It's time for breakfast."
"I told you I'm not--!"
"I don't care about what you said. I care about what's good for you, and right now that's breakfast. Besides, you can't perform any task if you're weak, right?"
And you certainly can't protect your Messiah.
This was composed to my first favorite of 2010, Red's 'Break Me Down'. I've listened to this song at least a million times. In two days. Bwah ha ha. I even made a MGS4 video to it, bwah har har.
Thank you for picking up the first notes of this adventure. Your support means a great deal to me. Before you even think of leaving feedback, though, allow me to remind you of a few things. Don't even bother to drop a line if you're allergic to a gay Old/Solid Snake, if you're allergic to gay couples in general, or if you're intolerant against Snake exhibiting emotion.
Thank you.