Chapter 3: Starlight

{Insomnia: November 5th 2001, 8:45am}

It was leading up to the holidays and Noctis had begun to notice the overhanging gray clouds that were showing up around the city which would soon give way to snow. The young Prince supposed that he should have expecting as much seeing as it was November and nearing the end of the year. The boy took in a deep breath as he watched outside the window as the students around him enjoyed their first period off due to the teacher being ill. Noctis took the time to finish up any homework he hadn't and to review for a test in the next period as the others continued to chatter about the upcoming festivities.

"Did you hear? They're going to do fireworks and a big celebration in the city's central zone right next door to the Citadel!" stated a girl with pigtails.

"Really? I wonder what it'll be like…."

"Apparently King Regis is going to make an appearance," stated a boy before he glanced towards Noctis.

"Hey, Prince Noctis? What do you know about the celebration?" the boy glanced towards them, his cool cerulean eyes narrowing slightly.

"It's to honor Queen Aulea's birthdate…." He spoke swiftly and then returned to his work.

"That must be pretty neat, having a celebration for your mom," said the brunette girl with pigtails.

"I guess so…"

The children stopped speaking to him at that point which caused Noctis to sigh as he continued about his process of preparing for his test. While most children his age didn't quite care about schooling and wanted to play more than read and do homework; Noctis put a great deal of stock in learning and he had always promised his mother that he would do well in his studies no matter what and he had every intention of keeping those promises.

After all, if a King were to make his people a promise and then break it because he had chosen that he didn't much feel up to it then nothing but chaos would unfurl. Noctis shook his head, sometimes finding himself in frustration because he was unsure of how to deal with the stress that was slowly being placed upon him.

As he continued to review the equations for his test, Noctis paused and looked out the window and pondered what his father often thought of how things were within Lucis from his Citadel. Did his father ever regret sending out the Kingsglaive? Did he wish he could change his choices after they were made? Did he know how to stop the war that they were having with the Nifilheim Empire?

How did his father handle such insanity and animosity from all sides? Noctis glanced up towards the sky from the window and saw a few flurries of white fall, showing that snowfall would soon come. Noctis sighed and then the door opened and the teacher looked to the students.

"Well children, it seems we're going to be getting quite the bit of snowfall soon; so classes will be cancelled today. We've asked your parents to come and get you so that we can get you home with as little risk as possible….just wait here and your parents will come to get you.." the teacher took a seat and Noctis sighed once more as he set to packing his things away and pulling out a book to read in order to pass the time.

Slowly but surely, the parents of the children in his class came to get them and the room began to empty until he was the only one left sitting there as if nothing had changed. Roughly an hour after the last child had left, there was a knock at the door and the teacher rose from her seat to open it and found a young blonde man with glasses. Noctis put his book away and stood before looking to Ignis who smiled as he saw the boy.

"Sorry it took us so long Noctis, we got stuck in traffic," Ignis stated as the boy smiled just a bit.

"It's fine, can we go home now?" the blonde nodded.

"Sure, Marshal Leonis is waiting for us in the car," he said as he thanked the teacher and the two of them left down the hallway.

"The children were talking about the festival in class…." Ignis looked to the boy beside him.

"Many people are….they're looking forward to it for several reasons. One of which is to remember Queen Aulea," he explained as they continued down the hall and stairwell before they were greeted by the front doors.

"Why do people celebrate someone's death?" Ignis looked at the black-haired boy in questioning before smiling as he looked at the doors.

"It's not to celebrate her death, but her life," he told him as they walked out of the school and were soon in the car driving towards the Citadel. Noctis sighed as he leaned back in the seat of the car and Marshal Leonis rose an eyebrow.

"Is something the matter? Prince Noctis?" the boy shook his head.

"Not really…." The Marshal sighed.

"Very well…."

The snow continued to fall and soon became harsher as they arrived at the Citadel and Noctis went directly to his room and tossed his book bag on the chair at his desk as he took off his jacket and then settled himself down in front of the towering window framed with black drapes as he watched the snow fall alongside the dim sunlight. The boy looked towards the light that blearily showed through the clouds and found himself thinking about the silence of the place he had called home.

Since his mother's death, the Citadel had seemed to have grown cold and devoid of life. Noctis took note that the black marble halls with their golden trim and white marble accents no longer seemed to shine with light or feel genuinely like a home. Noctis laid back against the cool hardwood floors as he continued to watch the snow fall whilst his mind ran through memories that seemed to have been from another life time. A sigh left him as he took in a steady breath and tried to make sense of the way the place he lived in now felt and how the warmth within it seemed to have been bled from it now.

The eight-year-old felt his eyes burn a bit as he thought of his mother's smile and laughter before he shook his head and continued to stare onward at the faint, ghost-like reflection he had in the towering windows. Everything in his life had changed and while he didn't mind being sent to a school with other children, he didn't mind meeting new people, and he liked experiencing new things: it felt like the link between him and his father had grown weak. Noctis felt his eyes burn again before he narrowed his gaze and then looked down as he closed his eyes and tried to shut out the overpowering silence that seemed as if it would crush him.

Children of the land do you hear…..

Echoes of truths that once rang clear….

Two souls intertwined….

One true love they did find…..

Bringing land and heavens near….

Warm arms seemed to wrap around him, almost startling him to open his eyes as gentle fingers mused his hair as the sound of a lullaby filled the room. Noctis felt a sense of ease overtake him as the person gently continued to sing as he listened.

But flames that burn full bright, soon fell dark….

Memories dimmed by shadowed hearts…..

In the waxing gloom did wane the lover's moon….

Watching as their worlds drift apart…..

Blearily, Noctis opened his eyes and sat up, the person having vanished as he looked around and found that the sun had set and the moon now shone down brightly upon the thick snow. As he stretched a bit and moved stand a sensation in the back of his mind told him to open the door that was made into the window. Following that instinct, Noctis slowly shoved the window open and walked out onto the balcony where he found a rather strong gust of wind rush by him before gently upon the wind, as he looked around.

"It's night already?" the boy asked himself as he let out a breath that fogged before he turned around and started towards the door again before a faint chill that had nothing to do with the cold laced up his spine.

"Noctis….tread carefully…."

"Who was….that?" Cerulean eyes looked around, the midnight blue tone of them seeming to overtake the brighter tone as he stared up into the starry sky before shaking his head as he entered the room and shivered a bit, not thinking about the events that had just transpired.

{November 7th 2001, 9:02am}

Noctis huffed in defeat as he glanced towards the doctor who had been checking him over before he sighed as the boy coughed while his father paced nearby in evident concern. The doctor had been called in due to the fact that Noctis had woken up that morning with a high fever and a rather bad cough which had done nothing but worry the King who only paused when the doctor looked back to him and beckoned him to his bedside.

"He'll be fine. It's just a bad cold….i suppose someone has been going to look at the stars at night without a coat on. Am I correct? Prince Noctis?" asked the doctor.

"Yes…." His voice sounded remarkably soft and scratchy which caused him to blink.

"You'll be like that for a few days. Afterwards, you'll be fine; I recommend lots of bedrest, and fluids. Don't let him get chilled, and to make sure he's properly taken care of I'll leave my nurse Felicia here to watch out for him," the doctor said.

"Thank you doctor." King Regis looked towards the boy who only frowned as his father shook his head and then smiled a bit as the doctor took his leave.

"You truly are a troublesome one Noctis. Whatever am I to do with you?" King Regis asked as he looked at the child who sunk a bit into his covers.

"Sorry…." The King shook his head.

"No, you're fine. Just rest and I will check up on you later.

"Okay…" with that King Regis walked away and Noctis sighed as he looked towards the window where the snow had begun to fall again.

For the past several days, Noctis had snuck out onto his balcony at night and watched the stars while being out barefoot in the snow without a coat on. Something about seeing the stars comforted him in a way that his mother once had. Their ethereal glow from so far away made him feel as if someone was watching over him and that he was safer with their gaze upon him. The young Prince looked up at the dull gray sky and the murky daylight before frowning as he pulled the covers up to the point that they were almost over his head.

"I wish it was night already…." As the words left him he heard the doors of his room open and he looked at the woman in a black dress that entered.

"Most would not wish for the night," stated a voice. Noctis sat up a bit, pulling the covers back to look at a young woman with black hair tied back into a bun in a shorter, but no less formal black dress. The woman smiled as she came towards him and sat down.

"Who are you?" he questioned her and she smiled.

"I'm sorry, I'm Felicia Acrux, nice to meet you Prince Noctis," she stated as she held out her hand and he slowly took it.

"Nice to meet you too….but um….what do you mean by most don't like the night?" she smiled.

"Because, while Insomnia is safe…the nights outside of the protection of the Crystal is fraught with danger," Felicia told him.

"What sort of dangers? Like robbers?" she shook her head.

"No, but you should be warry of people out there as well. The things that I am talking about young Prince are the monsters known as daemons," she explained.

"Daemons?" Felicia nodded.

"Yes, terrible, bloodthirsty monsters that devour anything within their paths. The daemons are vicious creatures my young Prince and while you may not find the nights in Insomnia frightful, many outside the walls do not dare to venture onto the roads or wilderness after sundown," she said as he leaned back on his pillows and she smiled, noticing that he seemed interested and knowing that brought her some relief that he wouldn't make himself any sicker by trying to do more than he could physically stand at this point.

"Oh, but can't we do anything about them?" asked Noctis as he looked into the woman's deep green eyes.

"I'm afraid not. It's said that for every human there are at least two daemons….so while we can work towards stopping them and controlling them to a point; they are merely a part of what makes up our world." Noctis looked down.

"I see…." Felicia smiled.

"If I may ask….why do you like the night so much?" she inquired. The boy glanced to her.

"The stars….they make me feel safe. Like as long as they can see me then I'll be okay and don't have to worry about anything…." Felicia gave him a gentle look.

"Then maybe you would be interested in meeting the Oracle someday," she stated as she stood and began to arrange the medicine to help bring the boy's fever down.

"Oracle?" she nodded.

"Yes, the Oracle is the current Queen of Tenebrae, she's a very kind, loving woman with a gentle soul and an honest tone. She communes with the stars and the deities in order to grant protection and heal others and any who seek her aid," Felicia told the young Prince this and the boy looked to her in questioning.

"But how?" the woman sighed.

"She's been blessed and it is passed down through the generations. After she passes, her daughter is most likely to take her place as an Oracle," she said as Noctis thought on the information.

"I think I would like to meet her. She seems really nice….but, have you ever met her before?" the woman looked down in defeat.

"Once, when I was quite small I had the good fortune of meeting the Queen of Tenebrae…but I no longer live there and I married a Lucian subject. The doctor is my husband you see," she mentioned and Noctis smiled.

"He's very nice….but…I think its better that a Lucian and a Tenebraenian can live together and work in peace alongside one another….do you think that if all people could do that…the war would end?" Felicia felt her eyes burn as she sat down up on the bed with the young boy and looked to him as she placed a hand to his cheek.

"If only all could see the world as you do. Child, you are truly remarkable…and you will become a fine King….possibly the finest Lucis has ever been granted the honor of having," she said. The boy felt his face darken as he shook his head.

"No, I don't think so. My dad's the better ruler…I'll never be able to take his place…" she smiled.

"You're such a good person. Listen to me, never change that no matter what okay? I'm sure you'll be the one of the greatest Kings ever."

{December 27th 2001, 9:45pm}

King Regis looked to his son as the boy flipped through the pages of a cosmology book as he sat on the edge of his bed while the King looked towards a small crystal lying on the bedside table in the shape of a star. The man sighed just a bit before looking to the child once more as he turned his attention from the book to his father who moved over and then promptly sat down on the bed with him as he tried to prepare himself for what he would be telling the boy soon enough. Noctis shut the book and turned to look at the man who took in a steady breath before the child frowned.

"Is something wrong dad?" the King shook his head.

"No, I….merely realized that you have grown to take an interest in the stars," the King explained.

"It's hard to really talk about….but they just make me feel safe…"

"I see….well, I came to inform you that you will be starting weaponry training alongside survival skills…but…Noctis, if you were to put your interest in the stars to your skills, then it may be of some remarkable service for your future endeavors. Learn how to measure the stars and use them to assist you." The King patted the boy's head and left while Noctis took in the words.

A great part of him was thankful that his father still spoke to him on occasion; however, another part of him found that they were beginning to drift apart and in due time the two of them would be out of one another's reach. Noctis laid his book down and flopped back on his bed while looking up at the ceiling of his room as the wind slightly howled outside and the snow swirled past the window as he slowly closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep. His mind wandering back to times when things seemed so much simpler.

{…..}

Every road they led you down felt so wrong, so you found another way…..

{…}

Author's Note: So, we're pretty much done with Noctis's peaceful day in the life moments and we're going to be getting into the thick of the story. Stay tuned guys!

Sincerely,

ShadowDragon94.