What Becomes of Us

Prologue:

Ash and Smoke

I remember him. We were holding hands once, running free through my back garden.

Happy children we were. People often mistook us one for the other. Such a striking resemblance was between us.

We both had straight and long ebony hair, although mine was a little spikier that his. But our eyes were really the same - sapphire blue, a shade that I would lose myself into whenever I recognized my reflection in his eyes.

At times, he used to come over to my house and I would show him all my toys.

He was poor, having no family to rely on. He lived in an orphanage, several streets away from my mansion.

But I never boasted about my luxury. Everything that I had I shared with him.

Years passed and we were both growing up. I was ten years old when the calamity took place.

One fateful day, the Niflheim emperor came to our city. We were at peace then. He said he needs recruits for his army. He also added that he'd pay a good amount of money for every single soul. Of course, my father would never approve of that. Our country's children belonged here, with us! The emperor tricked us all. He faked his own departure, but he remained in the city hidden from our spies. He made a deal with the director of the orphanage. Later on, all the children there were sent to Niflheim, to grow up as warriors of darkness. Yes, all the children... including Machina, my dear friend. The brother I had always wished to have.

And you know what's funny? I am the one who chose his name. His parents died in a civil war. At the age of five we met. His eyes were lifeless that day. The people in the orphanage didn't know how to call him, because the parents were no longer alive to tell them their child's name. After a while, I started to chase him playfully around the garden. He was reluctant at first, but then he plucked up his courage and showed me that he was the faster one. He was always so fast! That's why I put my hands on his shoulders and congratulated him on his impressive abilities: "Boy! Aren't you quite a machine! I can hardly keep up with you." That's how we decided his name - Machina! So suggestive. Machina Kunagiri, his full name, after his parents.

What's become of him now?

All I can say is that he's somewhere out there, in Niflheim, forced to train daily. With no friends to tell him jokes, like I have.

It's been ten years. And another five have passed.

Today I'm celebrating my 20th anniversary, but ever since he's been gone, my life has never been the same. Father knows. He's often told me that: "You miss him, do you not?" Oh, and how much! I am prince Noctis. From what I've been informed, crying is a shame now, for a grown man like me. But I can't help it. Every day I follow almost the same routine: training session with Gladiolus, my bodyguard and acquaintance, but never considered a close friend, magic lessons lead by Ignis, my tutor and nothing more to it, law and politics which I am taught by Cor Leonis, the most honourable man in the country, of course, after my father.

How am I supposed to live without a friend? Without my dear Machina? Silent as he might have been, I always felt safe and sound in his presence.

I wonder. Does he still remember me? Does he still remember our happy times? Not a day goes by when I don't think of him.

Ash and smoke.

Smoke and ash.

Heavy fog covers the battlefield.

There is no light. No hope left. I AM doomed.

With shaky feet I step forward. Slowly and painfully. It's over. Did I win or did I lose? Well, I'm still standing so…

A loud gunshot resounds from afar, instantly eliminating all my positive thoughts. Try as I might, I look around to find the source of the noise. But my sight is blurry. The weather doesn't seem to abide by my needs, either. And before I get to be provided with an answer, I fall on my knees. Oh, dear agony!

"We have a visual of the prince!" somebody shouts in the distance.

One of my hands furiously grips three blades of grass, while I place the other on my fast beating heart. No! They have found me. Ragged breaths come out of my mouth as I feel my chest being torn apart. The tips of my fingers are stained in red when I take a moment to look at them. This should explain the pain. But wouldn't the struggle of combat be enough for me? After critical moments of battle – which I barely managed to finish – I get to be shot in the back by an unseen foe? I've just had ENOUGH. I can't hang on any longer. This would be the end of my five days 'journey'. For five days I've been running and running… and running…. climbing tress so as to take shelter from wild beasts, swimming in an averagely deep lake to keep my body relatively clean… and seeking out even the smallest cascade because I was dying of thirst here, amidst these God-forsaken Duscaen lands.

I feel as though my efforts were in vain. The first day I set foot on this foreign territory, I knew I stood no chance all by myself against raw nature. I could hardly put up with the hostile conditions here, where instincts matter, not wealth. Moments ago, I was just fighting a pack of wolves, which let me scarred on my right arm. And, as this wouldn't have been enough, the Imperial Army of Niflheim has found me now. I've been gone missing from my crown city for five days. Nobody believed I survived after the invaders had declared me as dead. I was hoping that they would give up looking for me. Yet here they are, right on my tracks. And to be honest, saying that I'm dead wouldn't quite be a lie. I AM dead inside. No future shines for me anymore. However, I won't surrender! I'd better have an honourable death – falling to the ground with sword in hand. Not killed cold-bloodedly like a helpless animal. Like… my poor father.

Were I to give into despair now, my crown city (NOT ONLY THAT, BUT MY ENTIRE COUNTRY!) will be lost for good. Left in the destructive hands of Idola Aldercapt, my most beloved people will become nothing but slaves. No, I can't die. What kind of prince would I be if I left their fates to chance? As I struggle to keep on breathing, another voice screams violently somewhere closer to me.

"Capture or kill?"

"Capture! The emperor wants to choke the life out of him with his own strength."

"That sounds a little heartless."

"Do you really expect him to have a heart?"

I… I want to get up on my feet. I have to survive this! Oh, but fate deplorably doesn't allow me to. No sooner do I collapse on the ground than I hear footsteps marching towards me. I can't hear anything anymore. I am numb. Fresh blood oozes from my chest. Perhaps the hit was not critical, but it has managed to stagger me nonetheless. Such a pretty mess!

"Try not to writhe too much. It will only aggravate your pain."

Huh? My enemy is giving me a word of advice? Inconceivable! I feel the urge to answer him something hoarse instead, but when I part my lips to speak there are no sounds coming out. Nothing… except of a considerable amount of blood gushing down on the grass.

"Don't get your hopes up, boy. You're not dying any time soon."

What? He doesn't want me to die? Oh, wait. They said they'll take me alive to Idola Aldercapt only to torture me even more! I will not accept this. I'd better kill myself. I wonder whether this soldier that has come near me has a knife or a gun or any sort of weapon! Tasting the salty blood on my lips, I slightly turn my head to the side to catch a fading glimpse of this fellow. When I meet his stunning blue eyes, I see my fate as sealed. Such deep severity. Such clear hatred. He looks so strong. Almost as strong as I have been sometime long ago. He looks so capable of killing me. Yet he can't be younger than me. He wears an elegant, white uniform whose collar is traced with golden straight lines. A long cape having the same color falls so perfectly on his broad shoulders. There is a small knot at the base of his neck and the cape snakes its way down to his hips. His pants, however, have surely seen better days. I can tell they were once the purest white, but now they are grayish, having rumples. Hence, this is the military Niflheim uniform! If my sight doesn't fail me now… When I look better at his face… I think I…

"You. I know you!"

These are the only words that managed to be spelled by my quivering lips. I swallow hard the lump in my throat as the grass underneath me turns even redder from my blood, which is pouring continuously.

"I'm afraid I have no clue of what you could be possibly talking about. I just know that you're the prince, that Regis's son, heir to the throne of Lucis. I couldn't care less about the rest of your pathetic life."

He kneels beside me and locks one of his hands in my hair. I cry out immediately, sensing the danger that engulfs me.

"Please, stop! Think better, you know me!"

"Shut up! I won't betray my country."

He pulls a small gun out of nowhere. Pressing it menacingly against my forehead, he earns a soft whimper from me. Oh, I should have controlled myself better. I need to be strong now (if I have the right to say that). So I fight till my last breath. As I hear the short click-like sounds of his gun, I feel tears falling down my cheeks. I've never been so scared before, really.

"And neither will I! I'm not gonna die like a beggar, tortured by your ruthless emperor!"

I can see a badge on his chest and I recognize it immediately. Only the high-ranked are authorized to wear it. They receive it from the emperor himself. He has the right to hand these badges to his most talented soldiers. Oh, so this young man must be a Commanding Officer! I use the little strength that I have left to tell him:

"Kill me now, officer."

He smirks angrily.

"Officer? I have a name."

"Sure you do. Do you think I don't remember?"

He gives me a puzzled look all of a sudden. I sigh and close my eyes. Life is slowly leaving my flesh. But he needs to know something. I have to tell him this, before I die! I look at him through half-lidded eyes as I feel the darkness falling upon me. On the badge his name stays written in white letters, but I needn't read it. Of course not. Because I knew him before.

"Machina, we were friends once."

As you can see, I made several modifications to this first chapter.
Machina's uniform is officially white, as he is a Niflheim soldier.

This is a short intro chapter, the second will reveal more.

I was beginning to have headaches because there are no MachinaXNoctis stories yet! I'll handle that. Just gimme some time :D

Please review nicely.

~Lisa :*