Disclaimer: I don't own Final Fantasy XV or any of its characters.
Title:the world at your fingertips, you just need to seize it
Summary: As far as the six year old Noctis was concerned, his entire world consisted of four walls and Father always told him it's safer to stay inside than going outside. It's when those walls come down that Noctis's entire world changes.
Rating: T
Warnings: Potentially disturbing imagery, emotional abuse
Author's Notes: This ended up being a bit longer than I thought. I deliberately made Noctis a little more shy and less talkative here as he had very little contact with anyone other than Ardyn. As mentioned before, this story will be mostly written from Noctis's perspective and thus things will appear a little more skewed or biased. Hope you enjoy!


Noctis fidgeted uncomfortably under the blankets that Ignis was currently draping over him. Because if he was wrapped up, he wouldn't be able to see the sun and the sky.

" I know this looks a little silly but I don't want you to get cold," Ignis absently hummed as he adjusted the blanket that cloaked over his head and spilling over his shoulders and arms and down to his feet. " It's your first time outside so we should be prepared."

The blond man – now named Prompto – had been digging around the shelves and toy chest. " No shoes here either!" he called over.

Gladio – the large man – was frowning. " You've been barefoot this whole time?"

Still not entirely comfortable speaking to a man who looked like he could snap him in half, Noctis focused his attention to his bare feet. He didn't understand why they were making such a big deal about not having shoes.

The three men glanced at each other as they were prone to doing. " But your – uhh, Father brought you other stuff though, right?" Prompto asked. " Like shirts and other clothes?"

Noctis nodded.

Again, they exchanged looks that Noctis didn't understand. " We can worry about shoes later," Ignis finally said. " Here, Noctis. I'd like you to put this on. The air outside might be a bit much for you for the time being."

He had cut strips from an old shirt, fashioning it into a long bandana. Noctis wrinkled his nose as Ignis tied it around the back of his head and neck, noticing how his breathing sounded a little muffled by the cloth.

Ignis inspected his work and clucked his tongue disapprovingly. " I would prefer a medical face mask," he sighed. " Perhaps it would be better if the doctors came up here – "

But at Noctis's questioning look (he wasn't sick; why did a doctor have to come see him?), Ignis sighed and instead said Noctis was good to go and they could go out.

The excitement and euphoria of finally leaving the room began to ebb away as Noctis looked beyond the wall. As far as he could tell, the room was elongated further than he could see and stretched to who knows where.

Staring through the wall and down at the inviting darkness where the outside world beckoned, Noctis suddenly felt hesitant. By taking one more step, he would be leaving the room. By stepping forward, he would be disobeying Father.

He swallowed, wondering if he should really go through with this.

Gladio and Prompto was waiting ahead. Noctis timidly glanced at them, wondering if they were getting impatient.

" Whenever you are ready," Gladio said in a surprisingly encouraging voice.

" You can do it!" Prompto cheered.

Ignis was smiling and nodding reassuringly, so Noctis gripped Ignis's hand a little harder, closed his eyes and took a tentative step forward.

The world didn't fall apart, the floor didn't collapse below him, no monsters jumped out at him.

He released the breath he was holding in.

" That's it," Ignis beamed. " Take your time. You are doing wonderful."

And sure enough, with each step it was a little easier to breathe and Noctis gradually eased his hold on Ignis's hand and he no longer had to look behind him, afraid of something grabbing him or that Father would appear to punish him for leaving.

He could do this. He could conquer whatever the outside world threw at him.

Until he reached his newest obstacle – stairs.

It was strange how the floor fell several times. Ignis had patiently explained the floor had became 'stairs' where they could lead up or down other floors. It sounded all very complex and Noctis was still trying to comprehend that his room happened to have more rooms below it.

He had a hard time walking down the stairs despite Ignis's help. His legs wobbled and quivered and he desperately clutched onto Ignis' arm at each step, afraid he was going to lose his balance and fall each time.

By the tenth step and Noctis almost falling flat on his face for the third time, they decided it would be better if Ignis picked up and carried Noctis, seeing how there were still hundreds of steps to go and Noctic was already feeling tired and frustrated.

Ignis and Prompto praised him for doing a good job but Noctis really felt that he hadn't.

They continued going down the stairs, the quietness of the many rooms branching off and twisting off into the distance being filled by Prompto and Gladio's banter with the occasional dry input from Ignis. They sometimes asked Noctis questions but he was too busy trying to look around.

Noctis wished the blanket wouldn't obstruct half of his vision. There appeared to several giant pieces of rock thrown haphazardly around and many lopsided windows in the walls. Hundreds of more stairs could be seen in the distance. A lot of figures appeared to be lying unmoving on the floor too, though Prompto quickly distracted him with the thought of seeing dogs and cats before he could ask what they were doing down there and he didn't notice Gladio standing right behind to block his view.

Just as Prompto was telling the story of how he rescued a puppy and nursed it back to health, light steadily growing brighter seemed to flood through every inch and corner of the ceiling and floor, chasing away all shadows.

It finally hit him that he was outside.

In his haste to see, Noctis scrambled up Ignis's shoulder, pushing his entire weight up from it, the blanket slipping off his head.

Colors and objects blurred and nipped at his eyesight, causing him to wince and rub at his eyes. Once he managed to blink back stinging tears, Noctis was able to see the sky.

It was almost a grey-blue, almost like water like his books had described. Clouds skimmed across it, white and fluffy. The sun – oh the sun was shining and bright and Noctis couldn't stop staring at it, trying to squint at its rays and make a grab for the sunlight to feel its warmth, even if the luminosity of the light eventually started hurting his eyes.

Just below the sky was nothing but green (grass, his mind helpfully supplied) and tiny trees and brown dirt all around. He wiggled against Ignis's arms, wanting to be put down so he could feel what dirt and rocks and grass felt like.

He turned and twisted his head, now trying to locate a stretch of water. Where was the ocean? Ignis had promised the ocean but the only blue he could see was the sky.

Something invisible and airy brushed over his hair and over his cheeks. He nearly jumped back in alarm as he looked around and couldn't find who it was that touched him.

That's when Noctis realized he and Ignis, Prompto and Gladio weren't alone.

Dozens of blurry humanoid figures, more than Noctis could count, in different shapes and sizes, some just as large as Gladio, stood as their little party walked by. Some were pointing at him and others were speaking in tones too low to be heard.

And their eyes and voices followed Noctis.

" Ignis, they are staring at me," he whispered. He shrunk behind Ignis's shoulder as if it would be enough protection from their relentless gaze.

Ignis's mouth was pressed into a firm line. He pulled the blanket back over Noctis's head. " We are almost there. Just hold on, Noctis."

Noctis nodded, feeling a chill despite how snug Ignis wrapped him up. The outside was colder than he had thought.

A harsh sound cackled above and Noctis barely had time to recoil to see multiple shadows sweep past him above in the sky. It was a noise he never heard before and it terrified him at what creature could make that sound.

His world was no longer contained in four walls. His world had suddenly expanded immensely, now populated with hundreds of new people and other living creatures that weren't just him and Father. It also made the world much more frightening.

Everything was bigger. Everything was louder. Everything was more.

It was all too much for Noctis. Too much color. Too much noise. Too many strange things he had no knowledge of. It had been better in the room where things were normal and mundane and safe.

" Noctis?" Ignis seemed to sense his throat was closing up and how his stomach was twisting up and down. " Are you all right?"

" It hurts," he said, burying his face against Ignis's shoulder.

A comforting hand rubbed his back. " I know. I'm going to go as quickly as I can to our destination. You've been very brave. Can you be brave a little bit longer?"

He let out a shuddering exhale. " Okay," he mumbled.

Ignis hefted him a little higher, arms warm and strong. Gladio walked closer to Ignis's right side, intentionally blocking Noctis from prying eyes. Prompto took position on Noctis's other side, continuing to chatter about his story about the dog.

The outside world was frightening but Noctis was glad he had friends with him.

Something caused Ignis and the others to stop. The movement jostled Noctis who didn't dare move his head from the safety of Ignis's shoulder. From the corner of his eye, he spotted Prompto and Gladio bending one knee and lowering their heads.

" Your Majesty," Ignis was speaking to someone with solemn deference. " I would bow but my arms are a bit preoccupied at the moment."

Ignis shifted Noctis so that his face would turn and face the front. Noctis blinked at the figures standing in front of them, dressed in strange clothing of varying shades of black, grey and silver.

And standing in the centre was a man dressed from head to toe in black robes. His skin was aged and wrinkled like he had seen and endured much. A silver blade flecked with dark smudges rested between his wizened hands. His eyes, green like grass and the leaves of the trees, were deep and unfathomable and they wouldn't leave Noctis's face once he took notice of Noctis.

One of his withered hands came up, as if he wanted to touch Noctis. He appeared happy from the way his lips pulled into a wide smile.

So happy that Noctis left the safety of his room so he could now snatch Noctis away and devour him.

Noctis couldn't breathe. He couldn't breathe.

" Noctis? What's wrong?" Ignis sounded concerned.

His grip on Ignis's shirt intensified. " It's him," Noctis whispered. " That's the black king. The one who is going to take me away." His voice rose, more panicked and shrill. " Don't let him! You can't let him take me!"

Ignis frowned. " Noctis, this man is – "

But Noctis was beyond listening. He buried himself against Ignis's neck, choking back sobs. Father was right, that the second he stepped outside the room, the black king would find him. This was a mistake. He shouldn't have left the room. He should have listened to Father.

(if he had chosen to look up, he would have seen the black king's stricken expression as if he was stabbed and he would have heard Ignis hastily apologizing and explaining)

He could feel his heart thudding painfully against his chest. Unshed tears stung his eyes and his throat threatened to close up. He clung harder to Ignis, continuing to whisper and plead for Ignis to not let the black king grab him.

To his immense relief, Ignis's hold on him did not change. In fact, Ignis appeared to be holding him tighter.

" Noctis, it is all right," he soothed.

Noctis could only shake his head against Ignis's shoulder, tremors still quivering through his body. How could Ignis be so calm? " It's not," he stressed. " The black king found me. Father said he would find me if I left the room. I shouldn't have left. I – I want to go back!"

Ignis exchanged looks with Prompto and Gladio, all three wearing identical looks of worry and confusion. Noctis's nails dug into Ignis's shoulder. " Please," he begged, his voice sounding very small.

Prompto looked pained. " Noctis, we can't do that," he slowly said.

At Noctis's horror-struck look, Gladio elbowed Prompto. " What the idiot means is that we can't do that yet. It will be too long if we made our way back now."

" But if I don't go back, the black king will eat me!" Noctis cried. He anxiously peered over Ignis's shoulder as if expecting the black king to materialize this very instant and hurt his friends and sink his sharp claws into Noctis.

He was very thankful and glad that Ignis, Prompto and Gladio were quick enough to escape from the black king as they were no longer surrounded by the black king's minions. In fact, Noctis didn't even notice when they had appeared into an enclosed area, similar to his room though still much larger.

Prompto was wiping the table and setting things down on the floor. Gladio was standing on guard near the door, muttering something to a device in his hand. Ignis was settling Noctis on his lap who refused to sit still.

" The black king won't be hurting you, Noctis," Ignis said, his voice careful and deliberate. " Was it your father who told this?"

" Yes! Father told me all about the black king. How he's a monster dressed like a human. And how he could summon lots of weapons out of nowhere. As long as I stayed in the room, the black king can't get to me."

Ignis exhaled delicately. Noctis found it strange that adults seemed to do that a lot. " I see. For the time being, we will be safe here and then we will – "

" No!"

All three of them turned to look at Noctis at his outburst. Hysteria was finding its way down his throat. " We have to go back to the room right now! If I don't go back, Father will be so mad. He warned me and I didn't listen. The black king will – he will take me away and I will never see Father again! I have to – it's not safe here – please – I just have to – !"

His breaths came in sharp hiccoughs and his tiny limbs trembled with exertion. Fat tears spilled down his cheeks. His nails bit against the soft flesh of his palms.

Everything that had accumulated in the last few hours – meeting other humans like him, leaving the room, seeing the sky and sun for the first time, being found by the black king – it was all simply too much for Noctis.

And then, without a word, Ignis gathered him up in his arms and hugged him tight. " It's going to all right, Noctis," he said soothingly. He began to rock Noctis back and forth, one hand gently stroking Noctic's hair. " You're safe now. You don't have to be afraid anymore. You aren't alone anymore."

Noctis had never been held like this before. He had no memory of Father cradling him, pulling him close. There was something about the way Ignis was holding him that made him feel warm and out of harm's way. His ear was pressed against Ignis's chest and he could hear the steady thump thump of Ignis's heart.

In Ignis's arms, it didn't feel like his world was ending.

He never felt safer than right now, right here.

He closed his eyes and was able to just be.