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: Now that Noctis is finally in Insomnia and in the Citadel, I would think the poor boy would get severe culture shock at how everything is very different than what he is used to. When he was in the Reglia and travelling, things might not have sunk in right away or that he believed he was simply off on an amazing journey.
Noctis took back everything he had said that Insomnia was boring and plain.
Because now that he was seeing the city with his own two eyes, Insomnia was simply breathtaking.
The road was stretched so wide that at least ten rows of cars could fit there. Smaller roads branched off in different directions, cresting over hills and some even burrowing below. Cars zoomed by under tall lamps, passing Noctis without a care in the world, shimmering colors against the night and honking loud.
Even though it was nighttime, people still walked the streets, under street lights, between the shops and stores. Men, women, children, young and old – they all bustled and roved between each other, carrying on with their business, appearing like tiny ants. Noctis had never seen so many people congregated together in one location and continued to amble and spread out in all directions.
Numerous tall buildings stretched endlessly above the skies, lights from the windows twinkling and gleaming down at them. Several smaller ones lined up, squeezed between the streets and each other. People kept entering and exiting these buildings carelessly and so easily.
There was so much to see, so much for his eyes to follow. Noctis kept crawling over Ignis to look at one window before springing back to the other. He even tried to squeeze between the two chairs where Gladio and Prompto were to get a better view.
What would he give to have Father see the same things he was seeing?
An abrupt thought struck Noctis. " Will Father be able to find me here?" he absently asked.
" I am certain he will," Ignis carefully said.
Noctis had drawn a picture of Father to show his friends what he looked like so they could keep an eye out for Father, with his flaming red hair and his ever present black hat and long dark coat. Perhaps he didn't do a good job because Ignis had a deepened frown and Gladio had a dark look cross his face.
His bottom lip trembled. He hadn't thought of Father in the last few days, too excited and absorbed with all the new sights and things his friends were showing him.
He must be a horrible son.
" Noctis?"
Something in his face must have shown his conflicting emotions. Because Ignis was looking at him with concern.
" Is it really okay for me to be here?" he mumbled.
" Of course it's okay. Why wouldn't it?" Prompto said, confused.
Noctis absently played with a loose string on the blanket. " Because I haven't told Father where I am."
During the whole trip, there had only been vague answers from Ignis and Gladio regarding Father's whereabouts. Noctis would always look to the distance, hoping to catch a glimpse of a familiar swish of Father's jacket. Was Father so busy that he wouldn't visit Noctis?
" You don't need to worry about it," Gladio briskly said. " We already took care of it."
" So Father won't be upset at me?"
" No." There was a strange tone in Gladio's voice. " Not at all."
Uneasiness still crept through his skin but slightly less. Noctis was able to settle a little bit back down in the seat, gazing out the window again.
One particular building stood out among the others. It was so spectacular and grand that it put all other buildings to shame. Even though it was nighttime, Noctis could still see the golden etches lining the building that was split in the middle as if cut by a sword. A basking glow emitted from the middle, illuminating the building and the entire night sky.
That was when he realized Gladio was gradually driving them closer and closer to that magnificent building as it loomed over them, casting an impressive shadow overhead.
" That is the Citadel," Ignis explained, having noticed the direction of Noctis's stare. " That will be your new home."
New home? The words sounded strange to Noctis. Home was the room and where he had always been. And for the last few days, Noctis had grown comfortable enough to start calling the Reglia his home.
" We won't be in the Reglia anymore?" He couldn't help but feel heartbroken. The times spent in the Reglia with Prompt, Gladio and Ignis was among the best times he had.
" We can still ride in the Reglia from time to time," Ignis reassured.
" Yeah, I'm sure its owner won't mind," Prompto added, grinning.
Noctis had forgotten that the Reglia didn't belong to them. They were borrowing it for the time being. Still, it was very nice of them. Noctis hoped he could meet the owner one day and thank them because he really liked the Reglia and would definitely like to go on more rides in it. Especially to other cities like Altissia.
There was a faint rumble in the distance, just loud enough to remind Noctis of what laid waiting there.
" That – that thing is still outside," Noctis's eyes darted back out the window, just anxiously waiting for it to cause the sky to shriek again.
" There is nothing to fear. Remember what I've told you about the Wall? The Wall will protect us from them."
" Then we can't leave the city ever?"
" Of course we still can. That's why we have the Crownsguard to help us," Ignis said.
Noctis kept looking back. It was too dark now and too far away to spot the lumbering mammoth of a figure. " Why was it following us anyways?" he muttered.
Ignis didn't get a chance to answer because Gladio slowed down – a little bit rougher this time – and Noctis realized they had reached the very bottom of the Citadel.
More Crownsguard waited them at the entrance. Like before, they checked and examined them with tense scrutiny. And like before, Noctis pressed his face to Ignis's shoulder to avoid their stares.
At last, there was a nod of approval and they were allowed to leave the Reglia.
Noctis had thought the stairs leading down from his room was alarming. Here, in front of the Citadel, he could only gaze up at what must be hundreds of stairs ascending to who knows where.
He hadn't had a chance to practice climbing up or down stairs. It took him almost the whole journey just to get used to wiggling and sliding down the Reglia without any assistance from Ignis or Gladio or without falling flat on his face.
That was why he was very thankful that Gladio, a master at reading his expressions and thoughts, scooped him up out of the Reglia, one-armed like usual, and started walking towards the stairs like it was no problem. Noctis smiled in gratitude. Gladio's expression didn't change but he did nod in acknowledgement.
He craned his neck to watch as the Reglia grew smaller and smaller the further they walked up the stairs. Ignis had explained before that objects, people and things could shrink in size in the distance as he walked or travelled away from them. They were still there and present but to his eyes, they would appear smaller due to a change in his perspective.
Which to Noctis was just a funny way of saying the outside world worked in bizarre ways.
The Crownsguard stood as silent sentries, their eyes watchful and following his every movement. Some nodded in his direction and a few even murmured soft words that Noctis couldn't catch.
Gladio kept walking on for his part, eyes straight forward. Ignis and Prompto were the same. So Noctis followed suit.
Paintings, carvings, decorations and plants in adorned vases embellished every inch of the hallways and walls. Such beauty, excessiveness and adornment was beyond Noctis who was used to simpler things.
It made him feel very out of place, like he had stepped into one of the fairytale stories in his books.
The floor was impeccably clean and was so shiny that Noctis could see a misty reflection of himself and Gladio below. With each step Gladio and the other two took, the floor vibrated and spoke back.
He couldn't help but gasp. " The floor is talking back at us," he whispered, afraid the floor would take offence at his words.
" It's an echo," Gladio calmly explained, not perturbed at all about the prattling floor. " Some floors and walls can do that."
Noctis fought not to shudder. He didn't like the idea of inanimate objects, much less the very walls and ceilings and walls, speaking to him unbidden and uncalled for.
Further and further, they went up stairs and down the hallways, making Noctis feel dizzy. They even used something called an elevator to shoot up. He watched with fascination as the numbers above continued to climb higher and higher.
" Are we going to the top of the building?"
" Not tonight. We are going to your bedroom first."
Noctis frowned. " A room full of beds?"
Prompto chortled. " Not like that. It's your own personal room to sleep and do whatever you want."
It sounded awfully like his original room. " I'll be staying there forever?"
" What? No way! You can leave whenever you want. Everyone has their own bedroom, even us."
Noctis's face fell as he slowly registered those words. " We won't be sleeping together like in the Reglia and the tent?"
Having spent all his waking time with Prompto, Ignis and Gladio the last few days, Noctis could now not even conceive the idea of being alone. Especially in a room he had never been into, in a big city that he had never heard of until meeting his friends.
" One of us will be staying with you all the time," Ignis soothed. " Until you are comfortable being on your own."
If that was the case, Noctis never wanted any of them to leave.
The elevator softly chimed and the doors opened, revealing another set of guards standing along this particular hallway. A handsome wooden door was pushed open by two smartly dressed men who bowed low as their little group walked by. ("Why are they bowing?" he whispered. " They are being polite," Gladio replied.)
" This is your room," Ignis announced, just as Gladio set Noctis down to the floor.
Said room was the largest Noctis had ever seen, stretched what appeared to be for miles. An impossibly large cream-white bed was settled in the corner, silken pyjamas already laid on top. There was a window, the biggest window possible, reaching the top of the ceiling to almost the floor, allowing a breathtaking view of the city outside. A sleek long seat, similar to the one in the Reglia, was placed under the window, crowded with cushions, stuffed animals and toys.
Bookshelves lining the wall were filled with thick books, many with strange and long words that Noctis hadn't heard of before. Boxes filled with more colorful toys were waiting to entertain. To the other side, was a beautifully carved table, accompanied by equally lovely wooden chairs. The bonzai tree that Prompto had gifted him was placed near the table's edge, green and thriving. Papers and crayons were also neatly stacked on it. In the middle of the floor was a thick spread of a carpet, with intricate designs woven into the material.
Tucked in the corner was a doorway to a stunning washroom that was more expansive than the old room. A pearl bathtub was large enough to fit at least four people with a marble floor to match. Numerous fluffy towels was lined up on the wall, alongside a gleaming sink and mirror. There was the biggest closet he had ever seen nearby. It must be as large as his old bathroom with rows and columns of neatly folded clothing, shoes, jackets, all child-sized for him. Noctis wondered who could have prepared so much for him.
Everything was new. Everything didn't belong to him.
The only familiar object was his blanket that was currently folded into a neat bundle in Ignis's arms, that Ignis first used when Noctis left the room.
The original room.
Noctis now regretted not going back to the room to grab his worn out toys and books and crayons, just to have something that belonged to him, that was his, something that was not so foreign and new.
A strange feeling was welling up in the bottom of stomach, a gnawing sensation that was making its way to his chest.
He stood at the doorway, refusing to move, feeling almost ill.
" Noctis? What's wrong, buddy?" Prompto said, eyes wide with concern as he knelt next to him.
He swallowed, not uncertain how to explain it. " I – I don't know if I should be getting all this stuff."
The three exchanged puzzled looks.
" I don't get gifts or new things," Noctis said, still looking at his feet. " Father sometimes gets me gifts if I'm good. But people who don't know me are giving me gifts, letting me ride in the Reglia, letting me have this – this bedroom. And you guys too. You have been so nice to me. I ... don't think I deserve – "
There was a slight hitch in his voice. He couldn't finish his sentence.
He didn't get a chance either way because Ignis lifted Noctis's chin so that Noctis could look at him straight in the eyes. " Noctis, I want you to listen carefully to me. You deserve everything that has been given to you and so much more. Don't ever think you deserve less."
" B-but – "
" Hey." Gladio reached over to clasp his shoulder. " We wanted to give you those things. We didn't have to, but we chose to."
" And because we're friends, remember?" Prompto added in a rare solemn tone. He scooted close to hold Noctis's hand, enveloping Noctis's tinier hand with his two larger ones. " Friends always give and share things with other friends. It's what we do."
The earnest sincerity and seriousness in their voices was enough to convince Noctis. He released a shaky breath, the tension easing off his shoulders.
" Okay," he finally said. "Okay."
Noctis looked up at his friends, eyes trusting. He didn't know how to convey his gratitude to them, so he simply said instead, " You guys are the best."
Ignis smiled. Gladio patted his head. Prompto gave him a quick hug.
Noctis really thought he must be the luckiest boy in the world.
