A/N: *gasp* Could it be? Yes, it is! At long last, a new chapter! So sorry it's been so long. But better late than never, right? Just look at all the new info we've had on FFXV too. So very happy about all of it. Ayway, I've posted up some one-shots relating to Noctis and Niveus, so if you haven't read them already, take a look if you're interested.
Ah yes, the matter of Stella and Luna. Stella will remain Stella in this story. I have nothing against Luna, and may even try to find a way to add her in as a cameo or something, like Cor, but I don't see the reason to change Stella to Luna in my story as a) basically an AU and b) she'd be written the same anyway despite the name.
Well, you've waited long enough, let's get on with the next chapter!
X
Time Gone By
A cool wind blew across his face while blades of grass tickled his nose. Warm light kissed his skin, soothing his troubles. Noctis breathed in slowly, savouring the earthy scent. It was a moment of peace. After all that had happened, such a moment was a rare occurrence. There was no running, no fighting. Everything was as it should be...save for him being face-first on the ground.
Why was he there? The turn of events had led them to Tenebrae for a way to travel back in time. The notion had seemed absurd every step of the way, and yet they had seen it through. That manufactured gate of time had whirred to life, he had stepped through, and then...there had been nothing.
The cool darkness had consumed him and his senses. He could not even measure how much time had passed—did time even pass while travelling along its currents? But in that darkness came a light. The passageway of time had flowed around him, bathing his ethereal body in every shade of light. Noctis had been powerless against the currents, set adrift on the passageways of time.
Different paths led off to different times. Some had to be moments in their known history but many more were of long-lost eras in the forgotten memories of the world. Those moments were left to be forgotten.
Noctis had been helpless as he continued to drift along, his consciousness rising and falling with the ebb and flow. Slowly, or had it been quickly? shadows drifted back into his senses, ending the experience like it had begun. The memories of the journey were already fading, not to be recalled by living mortals. And so he opened his eyes and was met by the blades of grass that slowly swayed, those passageways of light falling out from his memories never to remembered again.
Grunting lightly, Noctis managed to push himself up from the ground, his head feeling like it weighed more than his entire body. Everything felt sluggish; his thoughts were muddied beyond confusion. It felt as though he had overslept by five days and his body could not respond normally.
"Good morning, your highness," greeted a familiar voice.
Noctis groaned and glanced towards the sky. It was a very late morning if indeed it still was. "What's so good about it?" Rubbing his head, he looked over and saw Ignis sitting calmly, one arm resting on his knee.
"Well, we're all here and alive, for one. Where 'here' is, though, I cannot say." The bespectacled man sighed and glanced across the horizon.
"How 'bout 'when'?" grumbled Noctis through a yawn. Rubbing his eyes, he saw all of his other friends strewn upon the grass near them. Bodies rose and fell with breaths, reassuring him that they were alive. They had all made it to wherever or whenever they were safely.
"Once again, I cannot say. Nothing near us looks familiar, though I did not dare to wander while the rest of you were still unconscious, but there is still much of the land in our time that I would not recognize even if I had."
"Oh, geeeeeeeze," groaned out Prompto, ruining the serene silence that came with the land. "Who drove me over with a damn truck?" The blond rolled over onto his back, hands over his face. "Anyone even there?"
Ignis nodded and answered, "We're here, Prompto. Good to have you with us."
"Sure doesn't feel good to be here right now." With a sigh, the blond pushed himself up. "Huh? Our sleepy princess here is awake before me? That doesn't seem right." He focused on Noctis, eyebrows rising. The Prince rolled his eyes, ignoring the jab at him, however true the words may be. "Hey, Gladio!" The blond rolled over and smacked the scarred man across his arm.
"What?" snapped Gladiolus. Bolting upright, their large friend startled the blond with no more than rising. He was far too groggy to try anything in retaliation. Even so, Prompto scurried backwards to a safer distance. "Ugh, let's never do that again."
"But what about returning home?"
Gladiolus paused for a moment, blinking. "All right, one more time, but that'll be it!"
"Agreed."
"Princess Stella?" called out Ignis, nearing the Princess' side. He shook her shoulder gently until she began to stir.
"Hmm?" she mumbled, rubbing her eyes. "Where are we—" She gasped, opened her eyes fully, and bolted upright. Violet eyes glanced around frantically, relaxing only once she saw each of them. "We made it. Oh, thank goodness." Had she not already been seated, she would have slumped to the ground right then.
"So did we actually travel through time? All I remember was darkness," remarked Prompto, scratching his head.
Gladiolus cupped his chin in his hand. "It didn't feel like the gateway we used between Erebus, that's for sure. Will the people who tried to stop us come back in time after us?"
Stella looked around. "If they were going to, they would be here already. If they somehow found the coordinates that I had used, it wouldn't matter when they left, they would be here."
"That is at least one problem that can be put aside for now. Well, what do you intend to do, Noct?" asked Ignis.
For a moment, Noctis stared blankly at Ignis. What were they supposed to do? He only knew that there was something wrong in this time—if they truly were in the past—something that needed to be righted, but what was it? Chinoka's information had been sparse at best, and he had not understood everything. The Seeker, the Sentinel, and the Sleeper. The brothers, the Seeker and the Sentinel, were to awaken their father, the Sleeper, in the past. Somehow, Noctis had to figure out when and where the brothers were, and manage to find a way to right it. With his limited information, and even more limited knowledge on the past, he seriously wondered if that was going to be at all possible. Chinoka may have had some faith in him, but he had little faith in himself.
"I-I'm not really sure..." He looked out across the horizon. There was a forest on one side of them, and a river not too far off on the other. Nothing looked familiar to him, but that did not necessarily mean much of anything—there was still much of his own world that he did not know. "If we really are in the past, then we need to find the Seeker and Sentinel and stop them."
"And, in doing so, we must be careful not to change our timeline."
Nocits shot Ignis a questioning look. "Why should we bother worrying about that?"
"You know of enough time-travel stories that we must take caution not to alter things lest we make irreparable changes to our time."
"And what's so good about our time to be worth keeping as is?" retorted the Prince, harsher than he would have liked. His friend brought up a valid point, one that he would otherwise listen to, but he could not see the worth in it. Not then. "The fal'Cie are all dead, the Crystals are destroyed, and we've lived through a cold war only to be thrown into a full-blown one with Niflheim, and who knows how much that war will consume." Noctis huffed, crossing his arms. Part of him wanted things to change dearly.
"Things have already changed, Ignis," noted Gladiolus in the frustrated silence that had settled in. "And if this Sleeper really could undo everything...what do we have to lose?"
"That is a point..." murmured Ignis. "But what if we were to succeed and the future we knew was changed forever?"
A loud groan came from Prompto as he ruffled his hair. "I think the world would forgive us for a few changes as long as there is a world!" He huffed and crossed his arms. "Besides, we have a bigger problem: Where the hell are we meant to go now?"
"There is a river near us," remarked Stella, gesturing towards the flowing water that could be seen in the distance. "Hopefully it would lead to some other sign of people, village, city, or the like. From there we should be able to figure out if we're in the past or not. After that, well..." She shrugged lightly, glancing to Noctis. "You were the one given the message. You'll tell us."
The Prince sighed lightly, looking off towards the river on the horizon. If they were still in their time, then they would have to figure out how to stop the war. If they were in the past, and Chinoka's warning was true, then there would be far more for them to contend with, and he did not know where to start. Stella was right, they first needed to figure out where and when they were. Everything else, at least for a time, could wait.
With a stretch, Noctis pushed himself up. There would be a lot of walking ahead of them, and a lot of questions that needed answers.
"Hey, do you hear that?" asked Prompto before they reached very far.
Noctis scrunched up his face and glanced over his shoulder. "Hear what?"
"Shh!" The blond stopped and looked around. Everyone else fell silent, wondering what he could have possibly caught his attention enough to want them all to stop. "It's a hum, like an engine. No one else really hears it?"
"Now that you mention it, there is something," murmured Gladiolus. "Sounds pretty far though..."
"There." It was Ignis who noticed first. Everyone followed his hand that pointed to above the horizon. "Airships."
"I've never seen airships like that before," amazed Stella. Even at such a distance, their shape was unlike anything they had seen, their kingdom's or otherwise. "A convoy, maybe? Can't be passengers with so many airships."
"That's no convoy," murmured Noctis, his skin prickling. "That's an armada."
War.
Wherever they were, a war was being waged somewhere.
It was always war. Noctis bristled at the thought. While he had only lived through a cold war (that was bad enough on its own), the thought of a full-scale one disgusted him. To think that so many lives could be lost for the sake of a few, sometimes well-meaning, flawed plans. Their world had see enough war already, would it ever end?
"Those don't appear to be Niflheim airships," noted Ignis, "And they are certainly not Lucis design."
Stella added, "They're not of Tenebrae, either."
"Have other kingdoms joined in the war already?" asked Gladiolus. The scarred friend held up a hand and began to quietly name off other kingdoms that had such technology available.
Further questions were cut short as the air around them began to whip about, a loud drone drawing closer, and swiftly. Up from behind the treeline appeared two scout ships. They slowed to a hover and began to slowly descend further. Noctis felt a lump form in his throat, clothing and hair lashing about. Already, they were being sought out. Lost and confused, they would now have to—
"Run!" shouted Noctis, flinging his body to move as a siren blared from the ships. He hated when his body was slow to respond. His friends around him began to turn, seeking to escape without any questions or disagreements. After all that had happened, it was in their nature to flee. They could not stand around and wait to see whether it was friend or foe. What would have been enough of a difficult task already was cut short.
Stopping them in their tracks, a barrier formed like a net in front of them from one of the ships. Blue light glowed between the sections and it hurt to touch, shocking Noctis when he dared to try examine it quickly. He and his friends reeled about, seeking where else they could run. There was only one direction that did not have the net blocking their path, and armed footmen landed there, removing all options.
Rifles were aimed at the group of friends, lasers helping to keep on target. Noctis swallowed nervously. The armour was nothing like he had seen before. Sleek and muted in colours with a few highlights, every inch was covered and protected. There was not even a gap in the mask—everything was sealed. Noctis did not like it. He could not judge their faces; they were like robots. One raised a hand to the helmet, pausing a moment before nodding and walking forward. No more than a few steps were taken when a beeping trill of an alarm filled the air. All of the footmen tensed, keeping their rifle sights fixed directly on the group of friends.
"L'Cie!" shouted the one in the middle. He raised a hand back to his helmet. "Admiral, there is a l'Cie amongst those found at the anomaly's location. However, the reading was weak. Yes? Yes. Very well, Admiral." To Noctis and the others, he shouted, "Put your hands up!"
Noctis felt his throat tighten up as the soldiers began to near. L'Cie. That one in the middle had used the term "l'Cie". As far as he knew, that term had been forgotten through the ages to be lost in their time. It had only been because of their journey on Erebus that Noctis and his friends knew the word and its meaning. L'Cie: someone chosen by a fal'Cie, the beings who gave the Crystals to the world, to carry out a given task. For most of his life, Noctis had only known himself to be a Protector, those in his kingdom blessed with the Crystal's power and charged to defend it. Now he knew the truth. Now he knew he was a l'Cie...or had been as his Crystal was no more.
Somehow the soldiers had not only known the ancient term, but had also been able to detect the remnants of the power. Noctis scowled lightly. If only it were not a remnant, a signature, if he still had his powers, he and his friends would be safe.
"What are we gonna do?" whispered Prompto, trying not to fidget.
"We stay alive," responded Ignis, raising his unarmed hands. Friend or foe, the soldiers were at least not shooting first and asking questions later. Noctis grumbled under his breath and looked to each of his friends. Each were reluctant, but they could see no easy chance of escape, and so they, too, rose their hands. Defenceless, it was all they could do. The Prince sighed begrudgingly, slowly raising his hands as well.
The soldiers neared them. Several remained in position, the rifles still locked on target. Even with the helmets, Noctis could feel their gazes boring into him.
"Sir, why is a l'Cie here?"
The soldier in the middle shifted lightly. "That's for the Admiral to figure out," he answered in a whisper. "We were to deal with whatever was at the anomaly reading. Everything else is above our pay grade." Back on task, the soldiers placed cuffs on each of their hands, energy connecting each cuff and one friend to another. Noctis sighed before glancing to his friends in apology. Barely with their heads collected, and they had already been thrown into some new mess.
One of the airships had lowered and Noctis and his friends were guided on. A few soldiers remained nearby while the others returned to their posts. Other times, the hum of an airship brought him joy and elation. However, as the airship rose from the ground, he felt only a gnawing dread that sat low in the pit of his stomach. To be captured again... A heavy sigh escaped Noctis. At least it was not by his own people.
He and his friends were not taken to cells. Left standing near the hanger of the small airship, Noctis looked around, trying to think of something that they could do to escape. With no weapons at their disposal, a fight would not end in their favour. Magic could prove beneficial, unless there were countermeasures put in place, or the soldiers simply had better spells at their disposal. Noctis could not tell if magics were being blocks or not, for he still had not learned basic spells, even after he told himself that he would learn (he felt his face heat up in embarrassment from his foolish procrastination over the matter.) The Crystal was no longer an option at all, and so Noctis' thoughts settled on The Light.
That strange power that he could see ever since that eventful night in his childhood... Though it no longer gave him the same spine-crawling chill, the thought of using The Light still unsettled him. To use the power from those that had died... Noctis shook his head lightly at the mere notion. Not to mention, his ability to use it was erratic, at best—something he had not even dared to try since that time on Erebus. Stella, on the other hand, was able to wield the foreign power with confidence. He glanced towards the blond woman, who remained standing tall and stern in spite of their situation. Perhaps her powers would be enough to free them.
"Psst," whispered Prompto at that time, "Do you have a pl—"
"Silence!" shouted one of the guards, jabbing at Prompto's side with the rifle. The blond grunted and cast a glare to the soldier, but otherwise remained silent, having learned his lesson. Talking around so many soldiers was not a good idea, either, even through whispers.
A heavy silence fell within the airship as it took off through the skies. There were some murmurings amongst the soldiers, but even they were remaining largely silent. Through the front windshield, Noctis could see that they were nearing the armada in the distance, namely, the flagship. Despite being held captive, Noctis could not help but marvel at the flagship. Its design and construction was nothing like he had seen before. Even with its daunting size, it was sleek and did not look heavy. Its shadow fell upon the smaller scout airship, as a message was broadcasted out, casting them all into darkness as hanger bay doors opened.
The shadows swallowed them whole, leaving them in darkness until they grew adjusted to the light of inside the hanger. Even more ships like the one that Noctis and his friends rested in rows within, testifying to the massive size of the flagship. There was little time to calculate just how many airships there could very well be in the armada as they were taken out into the hanger, and, surrounded by a handful of the soldiers, taken through the inner workings of the flagship.
After being on Daedalus so much recently, it was strange to be on an airship that was so pristine and orderly. Soldiers and members of the ship's crew were seen about, many of them looking at Noctis and his friends with odd gazes. Noctis felt his face scrunch up in annoyance. Were they truly that odd-looking? Everyone was still human, the only difference being clothing styles. He tried to shake off the feeling, thinking instead what in Etro's name that they were going to do to escape. As Ignis had said, however, the important thing for them to do then was to remain alive. Somehow... In a land that was unknown with technology that was far beyond them, somehow they would have to survive.
Light bathed them as the soldiers led them onto the bridge. The other side from where they were was a full window allowing the outside t be seen in all its splendour. Across sections of the glass, information was displayed via bright lights that somehow moved on their own with no screen to project the information. Noctis marvelled at the technology. All other control panels were much the same within the bridge—thin panes of glass with information displayed across them rather than conventional screens that he was accustomed to seeing. Whatever time they may have found themselves in, it certainly was no longer their own.
"Admiral. We've brought those from the anomaly, as you requested." The soldier gave a brisk bow as the woman seated in the Admiral's chair rose. Insignias and emblems adorned the front of the sleek uniform. Elements of it were akin to the uniforms worn by the soldiers, but clearly not of the same military division. She wore her mantle proudly, letting her rank be known. Black hair was tied into a high, neat ponytail, while brown eyes, harsh and calculated, studied the group of friends, judging them in a few short moments.
"Well, this is a stratagem that I've not seen from the Crystallum Alliance before." She tapped her hand to her chin, arching an eyebrow at them. "Nor I have I seen such attire from any. This is very strange, indeed. Weaponless, defenceless... And found at anomaly which produced readings that we have never before seen when dealing with The Light."
Noctis felt his throat tighten. First l'Cie, then The Light. More and more, he was believing that they were in the past. And, to make matters worse, it was becoming clear that he and his friends were on the side that were fighting against the l'Cie—the side of The Light. For Noctis, a Protector, a l'Cie, they were the enemy.
"Very strange indeed," continued to muse the Admiral. "To top it all off, there was that reading of a l'Cie. We've had such readings before of the like, at least." She waved a hand to dismiss that point. "But only ever if a l'Cie has become a Cie'th, of if they completed their focus and become crystal. Yet, clearly," she waved her hand lazily to gesture at the group, "none of you are in either of those states. So, what was your plan? Infiltration?" The Admiral placed her hands on her hips and strode towards Ignis.
Noctis bristled at the realization that she thought Ignis was their representative. But, as Noctis breathed out quietly, he reminded himself it was hardly the time nor the place to get his pride injured over such matters. They had to survive in the foreign situation in a foreign land. The more information that they kept to themselves and the more they could gather, the better.
The Admiral stared at Ignis for some time. Her gaze only shifted momentarily to the others before settling back on him. Ignis stared right back, holding his ground while not appearing too confrontational. Noctis quickly went from being resentful to thankful that it was Ignis that had been chosen after all, anyone else, including Noctis, would have gotten too riled up—save for Stella, he figured.
"Admiral Neita?" interrupted the soldier that had brought them in. "Are you certain it's wise to keep them here? I mean, one or more are l'Cie..."
Even through the helmet and uniform, Noctis could tell that the soldier perspired with fear at the look the Admiral gave him. He recoiled and looked ready to run. With one quick glance to the Admiral, the Prince understood why. Gaze intense, the Admiral looked ready to court-martial the soldier right then and there for his words, different military hierarchy or not. In that moment, Noctis feared her. It became clear why she was an Admiral at a fairly young age.
"Thank you for your words of concern, Private, but we have power enough on this airship alone to handle that of a Cie'th's limited abilities, let alone in the city. Besides." Her gaze shifted back to Ignis and the other, eyes no longer so sharp. "I do not believe them to be such a threat. Why have you come here? To use the power of The Light within the Crystallum Alliance is considered treason. Are you, perhaps, refugees?"
Noctis wanted to respond, to confirm that they were refugees. They could not have asked for a better defence in their favour, and it had been offered to them, no less! Hiding under the shelter of being refugees had been handed to them on a silver platter. Even if they were unable to continue the ruse—they knew next to nothing of the time that they were in, and could not provide any information on this Crystallum Alliance as a bargaining tool if need be (though that did not feel like an option at all to Noctis in the first place)—it was still a useful cover to help keep them alive long enough to form a better plan. Yet, despite his thoughts and reasoning, he remained silent. Perhaps it had been best for Admiral Neita to look at Ignis for an answer. It made sure that none of the rest of them could say something stupid.
Their bespectacled friend stood straighter, staring right back at the Admiral. His gaze was firm, but not challenging. None of them wanted to make an enemy of this Admiral, but appearing weak was not an option either. And so, much to Noctis' surprise, Ignis remained silent. He neither confirmed nor denied that they were refugees. If only the Prince could get his friends attention to voice his thoughts—maybe Ignis had not thought of everything? Noctis swiftly chided himself. Of course Ignis would have thought of the same things that Noctis had, and probably even enough to weigh the pros and cons in the brief moment that had passed. There was a reason why they looked to Ignis as their tactician.
"Hm." Admiral Neita sniffed in disapproval. "You choose to remain silent in your defence? I could help you if you say something."
Still Ignis and the others remained silent. As much as Noctis wanted to say something, so too did Prompto judging by how he was beginning to fidget, he said nothing to the Admiral. Just as she had said, silence would be their defence. There would be time later to come up with a plausible back story and reason for them being there, hoped Noctis. If Admiral Neita's words were anything to go by, their fate had yet to be decided.
"Very well, then." The Admiral crossed her arms and stood tall. "Take them to our holding cells for now. There is still some time before we reach Eldingar. Then, they will be someone else's problem."
"Admiral, a word?" asked the Private who had dared to question her once already. She flinched in frustration, not even looking at him as her nostrils flared. Noctis was learning of her limits and was certain to take note of them. A potential enemy or not, he did not want to anger her.
"In my office," she responded, her words brisk and to he point. "The rest of you, you have your orders. See to them. Thank you for your assistance in this matter."
The remaining soldiers gave their salutes before leading off Noctis and his friends. The Prince took one last look at the bridge. Heads swiftly turned away when his gaze happened upon others. He tried to gather some sort of information from the display screens—perhaps even a date if he was lucky—but from where he stood, he could not gleam clear enough data to be of any use. With a light huff under his breath, Noctis and the others were guided out of the bridge by the remaining soldiers.
Movements swift and curt, Admiral Neita moved to her office that was connected to the bridge—it was a private place that she could decide and discuss matters on her own or with others if need be without needing to return to her cabin while on duty. She knew that the Private followed her by the swift clamouring of steps behind her. Not saying a word, she took her seat behind the desk, not offering the opposing one to the soldier. He understood the gesture and said nothing—one point in his favour, at least.
"I do not appreciate being questioned, and even less so while in front of prisoners."
"My apologies, Admiral, but—"
"But nothing. You may not be under my direct command, Private, but while on my ship, you will show me the proper respect, as though I were a commanding officer."
The soldier was flustered. "Yes. Of course, sir."
Admiral Neita poured herself a drink and took a sip. "Now. You had something you wished to say?"
Clearing his throat, the soldier nodded. "Yes. With all due respect, I do not believe that you had handling those from the anomaly with enough caution. General Ivar would not—"
"General Ivar is not in command of this airship. Rest assured that I am not taking this matter lightly, Private, but there is no need to make unnecessary enemies too soon. They very well could be refugees."
"But they did not say that they were! Refugees would jump at the chance to say that they are, especially with the opportunity given to them!"
"Perhaps they were scared? Hesitant? Disoriented, even? Maybe we are simply not the people with whom they wish to speak. There could be a number of reasons why they said nothing. Enough lives have been lost in this war already, Private, on both sides. If these people have renounced their false gods and are to embrace Etro's Light, then they deserve a chance."
"That is...quite the chance, Admiral."
She sniffed and swirled her drink around, studying the liquid. Alas it was a simple drink—a stiffer one would be needed once she was off duty.
Arching an eyebrow, she studied the soldier across from her. They all looked the same. "Are you aware of what happened last week, Private?"
"Admiral?"
"The other appearance following a similar anomaly."
"Ah. Yes, Admiral. I am aware." The matter had not been made public knowledge, and she did not know who in the military had been told. Luckily, he was one such individual that knew.
"That's twice now that we've seen readings that we've not encountered before in dealing with The Light. Both were connected to Etro's gift, and each other, yet different. We are not in a time where we can be allowed the luxury to believe in coincidences." Admiral gave a wry chuckle. "I long for that time..." Shaking her head, she placed her drink firmly back on her desk. "Refugees or not, something is going on. We would be foolish to not learn what it is. They could have information that we could use. Starting off not wishing to chop off their heads will hopefully work in our favour. If not, well, I would hardly be the first time we've needed to extract information. Worry not, Private. They will be kept under guard, ability suppression, and dealt with appropriately when we return to Eldingar." She rose. "Thank you for your assistance in dealing with the anomaly. You may return to your duties for the remainder of the journey."
"Admiral." The Private saluted, and took his leave, feeling a little more reassured.
With a sigh, Admiral Neita remained in her cabin a moment longer. Two unknown anomalies in such a short period of time. If it were just the power of The Light involved, that would be one thing, but to have there be readings of a Cie'th... Matters would have to be handled differently.
After the cuffs were removed, a wall of energy rose up, akin to that which stopped them from fleeing on the ground. Noctis stared at hit, disheartened. Trying to escape while on the airship did not feel like a good idea to him in the first place—they would have no way of knowing how to reach the ground if they somehow managed to leave the cells—but now that chance was completely gone as long as that wall of energy was there. The soldiers who had brought them to the holding cells then took their leave, leaving Noctis and Ingis in one cell, while Prompto, Gladiolus and Stella in another.
"Really? They're not gonna leave a guard with us?" asked Prompto. He tossed his head in the direction that the soldiers had left. "Do they have such little faith in our ability to escape?"
"I don't think it's so much a lack of faith in us, but rather a confidence in their own capabilities," responded Ignis. He shifted his glasses. "We're weaponless, magicless, and what's left of our abilities are being suppressed, much like when we crossed paths with the Black Bandits the first time."
Their blond friend winced. "Tch, you just had to go and bring that up again, didn't you."
"Wait, back up," interjected Gladiolus. "We're magicless?"
"It was one of the first things that I checked when I came-to." Ignis shook his head and shrugged helplessly. "Even before this suppression field, I was unable to use my magic. Without our weapons, that magic was our only defence, but it's not an option. I cannot speak for Princess Stella's ability in wielding The Light, however."
The Princess of Tenebrae pursed her lips together. "My apologies. I didn't think to try and use it after I awoke." She held out a hand, concentrating on it for a moment before she sighed, defeated. "Whether from the ability suppression alone or not, I cannot use The Light at this time."
"We must make certain to check that should we escape."
"Which brings up the more pressing matter: Are we really in the war?" asked Prompto softly.
Noctis sighed and sunk down on down on the bench in he cell. "L'Cie, The Light... And if we truly are about five-thousand years in the past... We have to be in the war between the fal'Cie and Etro's believers."
"Well, that's just great." Prompto threw up his arms. "Because we seem to be captured by the side that uses The Light."
"How do you know all this?" Stella's voice was firm and steady, but did not hide her confusion. She stared at each of them, her gaze questioning as her brows furrowed. Noctis chided himself lightly. He had forgotten that she knew nothing of this time. While what they knew was minimal, at best, it was still leaps and bounds more than what she knew. "Please. Tell me."
The Prince sighed. "It started nearly two years ago whe—"
"Noct! A-Are you sure?" blurted out Prompto.
Noctis understood his friend's concern. That even of their Crystal's shattering was still their kingdom's secret. Even during the false negotiations, Tenebrae had not learned of it. On top of all of that, Niveus' existence was still kept secret from anyone who had not met her. As much as he wanted to keep it that way, to keep her safe, Noctis knew that the whole truth had to be explained.
"What does it matter? We're all here now."
"He's right," nodded Ignis. "We'll all have to work together to get through this. Secrets will not do anyone any good."
Noctis nodded his head lightly. "Nearly two years ago, our Crystal shattered. We were sent to gather the shards in secret before it was too late. The first shard that we came across was connected to a person—Niveus was her name. She joined us as the shard would not allow itself to be parted from her." He sighed and began to explain everything that had happened. "It was then that we first came into contact with the Obruo, and had a glimpse of what truly lay in the past."
"So the Obruo were created in this era? That's amazing that they're still able to work after such a long time." Even in their current predicament, she was still fascinated by what powers that The Light held.
Noctis shivered at the recollection of those battles. The fear that had gripped him in that time, digging cold claws into his entire being, never had he thought that the Crystal could fear something so utterly and completely. He dreaded the notion that the Obruo could very well be stronger in the current time. Pushing those thoughts aside, he continued to retell their story to Stella. "And so, we found ourselves on Erebus. It was there that we were able to gain some insight into what happened in this time."
"Wait. Erebus? You mean the moon?"
Prompto snorted lightly. "That was my reaction."
"One in the same," remarked Ignis.
"How can that be? There has been progression in the notion of space travel, yes, and maybe we'd be there if not for all of the recent wars, but how did you possibly make it there?"
Noctis answered, "That Gateway? It was not so too different from the one you found and restored. The people in this time, or probably even further into the past, made them to travel across the distances in a blink of an eye. The one in the ancient city transported us to the ruins of the civilization on Erebus."
Stella's jaw hung open a moment before she collected herself and closed it. "People lived there?"
"In this time, they do. But, either way, there were records on Erebus, ones that told of a war between those that wielded The Light and the fal'Cie."
"Fal'Cie..." repeated Stella. "You told me of them before. Are they by chance connected to the l'Cie that the Admiral and soldiers mentioned?"
"The fal'Cie gave humanity the Crystals," answered Ignis, allowing Noctis a break. "And, in turn, the fal'Cie chose humans for tasks. Those humans were called l'Cie."
Stella's brow furrowed in confusion once again. "Yet there is no record of such beings from the Crystal Age."
"That's because all but a couple were killed in this war that we're in now. That Crystal that was in Seiyulae? That was the fal'Cie Chinoka, the one who sent us on this task. Her Crystal was the last complete one in existence. All the Crystals that we knew about in the Crystal Age were from one fal'Cie: the one from Erebus itself, Osana Lucia. Rather than being completely destroyed, she shattered her Crystal and sent its shards to the earth below. Some of her soul survived on, and that was the Niveus that we met." The remainder of their journey to the Underworld itself was recounted to the end. It was only then that Stella knew everything.
"And now...the remainder of the last fal'Cie is gone, too," surmised Stella. "Now that your Crystal is gone, none remain from the Crystal Age, and Chinoka is no more. That era has met its end." She sighed. "And The Light is to blame. In both eras, no less. Is this why you were so against it during our negotiations?"
"Partially," admitted Noctis. While not a dark power, people seemed to be corrupted too easily by The Light. However, the power of the Crystals was hardly free of its own sins. Along with the war waged between kingdoms in the Crystal age, they had no idea what happened with the power of the fal'Cie before the war between them and The Light. Something had to have pushed Etro's believers to do what they did against the "false gods". Perhaps they would finally have those answers while in the past. Noctis could only hope that they would be able to make some sort of good of it.
"So, we're now in this war, and believed to have the powers of a l'Cie while on the side of Etro's believers."
"Pretty much." Gladiolus nodded. "That's about as much as we know at the moment."
"But they also believe that we used The Light somehow to get here. Surely we could use that to our advantage?"
"It is possible," agreed Ignis. "But there's still so much that we simply do not know about this time. Not to mention, our entire purpose for being here is to find the Seeker and Sentinel before they awaken the Sleeper. We have no idea where to start searching, though."
"We find a way to reach the Crystallum Alliance," announced Noctis, steepling his fingers in thought. "The fal'Cie may have the information that we need, and, hopefully," he glanced down to his hands, "the echo of their power within me will get them to give us a chance."
"Unless they imprison us first for having the power of The Light."
A weak snort escaped Noctis. "Wouldn't be much different from how things are now, would it? I think we'd be safer, anyway, with the fal'Cie rather than here."
"Noctis, are you going to try and change the outcome of this war?"
Groaning, he buried his head in his hands. "Not this again. I won't try to change the war's outcome, but whatever happens, happens." He sighed and leaned against the wall. "There are simply worse things to think about."
"Yeah, like what they might do to us once we get to this Eldingar," sighed Prompto with a shiver. "I've been through torture before, and I really don't want to go through it again."
"Maybe it'll be used as a last resort?" offered Gladiolus.
"Oh. Great. That makes it so much better."
"Try not to let it get to you," grunted Noctis. "There's really not much we can do for now. Let's just rest, all right? We need to be ready for whatever could come." With a sigh, he lay down on the bench. Worrying over matters now would do them no good. First, they would have to figure out a way to escape, and, then, find a way to the Crystallum Alliance. Had Velens been part of that alliance? The ancient city had used the power of the Crystals and fought against those that wielded The Light. With any luck, that was at least one place that they knew in this time that would be safe.
"You know, sometimes you're lucky," remarked Ignis softly.
Noctis cracked open an eye. His friend took the bed on the other side of the cell. Out of all the times to be called lucky, their current predicament hardly felt fitting. "How so?"
Ignis frowned before lying down on the bed. "Being able to fall asleep in just about any situation or location."
That caused Noctis to snort a laugh. "Yeah, well, trust me, it's both a blessing and a curse." With a sniff, he closed his eyes. At least for the moment, it was a blessing.
"Wake up," hissed a voice in Noctis' ear. He groaned and swatted the person away. Being woken up when he was still tired was one of his least favourite things in life, which made it all the more annoying as he was tired the majority of the time, especially recently. The restless nights of late, before his father's murder, did not help in that regard. However, as he slowly opened his eyes, he realized that the nightmares still had not plagued him since the time Niveus was connected to him. Even after her trade in the Underworld, no nightmares had unsettled him. It felt strange to be able to sleep well after the months of disturbing dreams. Noctis' hand slipped up towards the necklace that still hung under his shirt. Perhaps she was still helping him in some small way.
"Rise and shine, Princess," teased the voice. Ignis. Noctis was awake enough to be able to tell which friend it was (though, considering what their cell arrangements had been, he was not at all surprised). Glaring lightly, the Prince pushed himself up from the bench. While no nightmares had plagued him and had allowed for a pleasantly peaceful sleep that left him more rested than usual, the bench had countered that and left him sore as he moved to rise.
"Tch, why did you have to wake me?" grumbled Noctis, rubbing his eyes.
"Because it is best if we are all awake for this."
Mumbling something under his breath, Noctis looked up, wondering what Ignis could possibly mean, then saw it. The Admiral stood in front of their cells, eyebrow arched towards Noctis.
"You certainly appear to be quite the sleeper. It's not very often that we get people sleeping in the holding cells."
Noctis arched an eyebrow back at her. "Maybe that's because we're not guilty of anything?"
Judging by the look that Ignis shot at him, Noctis should not have said what he did. But, after having remained silent throughout their previous meeting, he had to say something. It was just a shame that the remark came out snarkier than he should have said, but his frustration had won out. The Prince eyed the Admiral. The corner of her mouth twitched slightly in response to his remark. Whether it was a mask of a grin or a frown, however, he could not tell.
Admiral Neita crossed her arms. That stern gaze of hers did not leave Noctis. Once again, her look was judging him and weighing him in a few short moments. "That has yet to be determined," she replied with a sigh, casting her gaze down. "But it will be determined soon enough."
"By you?" enquired Ignis.
"I may be brought in on the process, but the final decision will no be mine."
"Then why are you here without guards?"
Noctis gave his bespectacled friend a flat stare. For having given a silent scolding to Noctis' remark, Ignis had asked a rather bold question. To the Prince's surprise, however, the Admiral merely shrugged and showed no sign of annoyance. Compared to how she was reacting on the bridge, she was much calmer and softer spoken.
"We have almost arrived at Eldingar. If there is anything you wish to tell me before you are taken off, do so now. There are no other prying eyes or listening ears at this moment. I may be able to help you if you tell me something. If not, well, the others dealing with your appearance within our borders may not be so willing to provide the benefit of the doubt."
Noctis held his tongue. Having trusted Ignis so far, he would continue to do so, no matter what he wanted to say. Admiral Neita still looked to Ignis for representation of their group, as well. If that was how she saw it, then so be it.
"We cannot," replied Ignis, adjusting his glasses.
"Cannot? Or will not?"
"We cannot for we do not know what to say."
Noctis groaned internally. Politics. Everywhere that he went, there would be politics. It was definitely best for Ignis to be handling the matter, then, for he no longer had the stomach for it.
"That is...quite the predicament. If what you say is true. Well then, if that is all you have to say." Studying them for a moment longer, the Admiral then lowered the barrier to the cells. "Come with me."
Stepping out of their cells, the friends looked to each other, each equally confused. It was Stella who first followed the Admiral, head held high. Noctis and the others followed. There was nothing else for them to do. There was nothing else that they could do.
A groan escaped Noctis when they exited the room. Admiral Neita had stepped to the side, and soldiers were quick to place cuffs on the prisoners' wrists. Just like before. Noctis glanced towards the Admiral. She stood taller again, her expression stern. Gone was the thoughtful commander that considered their side, if only for a moment. Though, the more that Noctis thought about it, Admiral Neita was most likely considering for the sake of her people and not them.
"Take them to the exit. I will be there momentarily after we land."
"Yes, Admiral." The soldiers saluted and Admiral Neita took her temporary leave.
Noctis and his friends were guided back through the workings of the flagship. The soldiers were brisk and on point, allowing for no miss-steps and no talking. After the meandering halls—to which Noctis tried to keep an eye out for any sort of useful information as possible, but there was none—they finally came to a part of the ship to where they could see outside. Noctis slowed, nearly stopping if not for the soldiers that prodded him in the side, and studied what lay beyond the windows. A majestic city rose into view as the airship began to land. White skyscrapers rose up first, countless stories taller than any he had seen before. Pathways connected the buildings at varying levels, allowing for easier access through the city without needing to travel merely along the ground. And, Noctis had to crane his head back to make sure what he saw was right, there were even personal flying vehicles zooming along, creating streets in the air.
"Flying cars?" mused Noctis under his breath. While his people had airships, certainly, no city that he knew of used car-sized airships to travel normally. Even with everything that had happened, Noctis still managed to feel a little amazed by it all
They waited in tense silence before the exit. The airship rumbled slightly as it slowed in the final moments of its descent. With a small lurch, the airship landed. Noctis peered out a nearby window, wondering what it was exactly that awaited them beyond the door.
"Thank you," said Admiral Neita. She nodded her head to the soldiers who in turn saluted. Adjusting her mantle, the Admiral opened the door and they were amazed by the sheer light of everything. Sun glowed off of the buildings, the various displays of light relaying information for the public to consume.
The ramp lowered and Admiral Neita strode down. A part of Noctis wanted to stride down as well. Being Prince, it was how normally exiting an airship went. But he was not a Prince, he was a prisoner. The soldier that once again prodded Noctis was a reminder.
"General Ivar." Admiral Neita nodded her head curtly to the bearded gentleman that waited at the base of the ramp, flanked by soldiers that appeared of higher rank than those that escorted the prisoners off of the airship.
"Admiral Neita," returned the General. He sighed and eyed Noctis and his friends. "So these were the ones from the anomaly? Very well. We'll be taking them from here. Admiral, you can expect to be brought back in this matter."
"Of course. It's not as though there is a war being waged."
General Ivar thinned his lips. "You'll receive your orders." With but a toss of his head, the soldiers flanking him moved to around Noctis and his friends. And, with that, they were taken to new holding cells.
Noctis sighed as a new wall of energy rose up before him. Each of them were confined in their own cell now, left to wait to see their fates would be.
"Great," sighed Prompto, throwing up his arms in defeat, "now what? More waiting?"
"Until we know more...that's all there is." From his cell, Ignis shrugged.
"Well, well, this is interesting," murmured a voice in an opposing cell. Noctis narrowed his eyes and looked across the hall. In the shadows of the cell, he saw someone stir. "Cie'th? That has not turned to crystal? How very strange."
Feeling unsettled, Noctis asked, "Who are you?"
From the shadows stepped a man. His pale blonde hair hung to his shoulders. Blue eyes, like that of the sky, peered out from the darkness. Those eyes studied Noctis, then trailed up and down to the other cellars before settling back to the Prince. "I am Lindzei."
A/N: And we're back on track! Things may be slow in updating still, life and all, but don't worry, I will see this story through. Who knows, I could still finish this before the actual game comes out, hah, hahah... Anyway, if anyone has some FFXV stuff they'd like to talk about, feel free to PM me. Well, thanks for reading and look forward to more!