of duties and obligations, a final fantasy xv fanfic

Title: of duties and obligations

A/N: For the Eos Compendium zine! I've been dying to write Nyx/Luna since I've seen the movie, and took this as an excuse to just do it.

Summary: Nyx wasn't sure if the past kings had something else in mind for him or if he was still clinging to life out of sheer stubbornness (sheer stupidity, Crowe would have called it). Either way, Luna was here and he was alive and this time, he wasn't going to let her out of his sight.

…

"Nyx."

A voice flowed over him like water, soothing the burns and lacerations that crossed his body. Every part of him felt like it was on fire, as though he was lying on a bed of coals. No, that wasn't right—it was more like he was burning on the inside, a flame simmering just beneath his skin.

"Nyx, wake up."

A heaven-sent balm, the voice continued to call his name. His eyes fluttered open, the bright light of the sun searing into his retinas before he squeezed them shut again. Fuck, he swore, but his throat was parched and the only sound that escaped his lips was a dusty cough. There was a tingle in his fingers and toes as he tried to wiggle them.

"You are alive." A soft sigh of relief. Something warm and wet hit his skin. Cracking his eyes open an inch, Nyx slowly took in his surroundings. As his eyes adjusted, he could make out smouldering fires, jagged rubble. Hell, now that his body was awake, he could feel the cracked rocks beneath his back. The sharp points poked into his skin everywhere except for his head. A hand brushed his forehead, soft fingers hesitantly pressing into his skin. "Though I am not sure how."

"Your Highness," he managed, opening his eyes now fully to make out the bent figure of Lunafreya Nox Fleuret. His charge. She shouldn't be here. He shouldn't be here. Dozens of questions ran through his mind and Nyx closed his eyes once more. Taking a deep breath, he started with the basic steps. Was anything broken? Not his ribs, at the very least. Nothing felt cracked, just bruised.

And his skin, his skin felt like fire, like ash, like it would burn into nothing and flake apart at the slightest breeze. It was a strange feeling. An imprint of the ring was permanently scorched onto his finger and even though it wasn't on, he could still feel the weight of it all. He breathed in. As he exhaled, Nyx opened his eyes and shakily started to rise.

Luna quickly grabbed his shoulders, helping him up. Closer now, he could make out the dirt on her skin, the tear streaks on her face. "Be careful, I do not think you have recovered yet."

"As much…" His voice cracked. Nyx swallowed, his mouth still too dry. "As much as I can be, your highness."

Not the response she was expecting, he was sure. Luna stared at him for long ten seconds, her eyes blinking owlishly, before she cracked a smile. "I suppose if you can talk like that, you are better than I expected." Her slim fingers ran down his arm, leaving a trail of ice in their wake, before curling around his hand. Inspecting his fingers, she murmured, "Truly, it is strange. The ring has left barely a mark on you."

"No, it definitely left something." Nyx winced—his body still felt like it was on fire, ever smouldering. What had the kings said? He'd have their powers until the dawn had risen? He had taken it to mean the next day, but here he was. Maybe there was some other dawn they wanted him to live to. Or maybe he was alive purely by willpower, his body kept together by the shear strength of his stubbornness. Crowe would have called it idiocy.

She was probably right. He was too stupid to know when to die.

ii.

There were certain aspects of life that Luna had resigned herself to accept: her death, the fate of the world, the fact that her struggle would be a long and lonely one. The second she had summoned the trident, had connected with the gods, she had known all of these things to be true, whether she willed them or not.

The man following her like a loyal dog was not one of those things. Stopping in the middle of a muddy path, Luna turned around to face him. "You do not have to follow me."

"What else am I gonna do?" Nyx's lips quirked into a smirk and she didn't know if his expression or his tone was more infuriating. A mix of both, most likely. "I'm a dead man walking."

"Live your life, however much left of it there is," Luna entreated, focusing on his scarred hand. Even now, she did not know how he bore the pain. His right arm was a mass of burns, thin flakes of skin chipping off here and there. The price of the ring was a steep one indeed, though not as high as she had feared. He had lived, at least. He should not be throwing his life away like this. "Meet your friend."

At that, Nyx flinched. His eyes lowered and he shook his head. "Liberatus would understand. It's dangerous out here and I don't think your trident will cut it."

"What I am doing is dangerous," Luna corrected. "Whether you are here or not, my path is a difficult one."

"I can make it slightly less difficult." Looking more serious now, Nyx pulled out his Glaive knife. A knife that was now useless to everyone but him. He balanced it in his hand before slowing wrapping his fingers around the hilt. "I promised King Regis to keep you safe." Gripping the knife tightly now, he tossed it behind her and burst into a million refracted lights as he warped to the wild beast behind her. "It's the only reason I'm still standing."

Luna spun around, watching as he killed monster after monster, his knife hurtling from one direction to another. It was a futile task. Even if they injured her, they wouldn't kill her. Not yet. It wasn't her fate to end here.

It was her fate to die across the sea, in a watery grave. You can't save me, her lips refused to form.

Some part of her knew that he would try anyways.

iii.

The modest campfire flickered, just barely strong enough to survive the slight night breeze. Nyx quickly scanned the moonlit sky; with the bright full moon, anyone could spot them if they were looking hard enough. All it took was one magitech engine and while Nyx could take down a group, even he would have difficulties against that many.

"Is something wrong?" Luna asked quietly. On the other side of the fire, she hugged her knees to her chest, her eyes half-closed, and she looked more like a lost child than a fierce, stubborn princess.

"Nothing yet." One last check and Nyx tore his eyes away from the sky. The embers flickered in and out of existence, the fire on the verge of dying, and he added another log to the pile. At least the smoke wasn't too visible. "You should sleep."

"As should you." Luna eyed him now, looking slightly more awake. "I do not understand how you are still standing. When was the last time you slept?"

"…properly? Weeks ago." Nyx shrugged, leaning back. "Maybe it's the ring."

"Perhaps so." Luna pulled out the chain from under her dress, holding it up in the dim light. The fire flickered on the dull silver, casting reflections that looked like omens of the future. "Though I do not know of any such properties. Moreover, only the king should be able to draw out the ring's power."

"Prince Noctis," Nyx mumbled, resisting the urge to spit out the name. Even now, he felt a surge of bitterness over all that was lost so the royal heir could survive. Over all who had died so a single boy and his entourage could make it to the next day. "When's he getting the ring?"

The wrong question. As soon as he asked, Luna's expression darkened and she let go of the chain. With a guarded look, she answered, "Not yet—there are still some tasks before he is ready. He must connect with his ancestors and gain powers of old. He must form convents with the gods."

"And you won't meet him till then?" Nyx clarified, though he already knew the answer to that before she nodded. This was a woman who had jumped out of a flying vehicle to help her king, a woman who kept pushing and pushing forward for a duty that wrapped around her thicker than any chain.

"Yes. There is much to be done." Luna paused before softly adding, "And not much time to do it."

iv.

"Your highness," Nyx softly started, watching her from the corner of his eyes as she slowly picked her way down steep mountain path. It had been hard to find an opening where the empire had no eyes, a path that only the wild animals knew.

Before he could continue, Luna shook her head and cut him off. Firmly, she corrected him, "Luna."

"That isn't—"

"Insomnia is no more. Tennebrae was annexed." Luna's eyes lowered as though she was remembering some place, some time long ago, when neither of those were true. Her hand grabbed onto the nearby wall, keeping her steady as she found her footing forward. "All that I have left now is the trident and my name. There are not many who can still call me by it." When he didn't respond, she added, "Have we not travelled together long enough to drop such formalities?"

Despite her light tone, her eyes were just as determined as they had been when they'd raced through Insomnia. Rubbing the back of his neck, he nodded. "Fine. Luna." In his head, Nyx could already hear Crowe and Liberatus laughing. Quickly, he amended. "Princess Luna."

"Not quite what I was hoping for, but it is sufficient." Luna smiled.

"Anyways, about your brother..." Nyx trailed off. There was no easy way to say this. Biting the bullet, he forged on, "He's alive."

"Ravus?" Luna almost stumbled over a rock, shock colouring her expression. Grabbing his arm, she stared up at him. "Are you certain?"

"Yeah." If there was one thing that remained true even after all that they'd been through, it was that news travelled fast and gossip even faster. The small towns that they had carefully bypassed were full of stories about a one-armed general and the rag-tag team that Noctis had managed to scrounge up. "He lost his arm, but he's still there."

For once, Luna was like an open book. Joy and sorrow warred in her expression, her hand slipping off his to clasp her other one. "He is truly alive." Her pace slowed, her foot scuffing the earth as she digested the information. "The old kings were very generous then, allowing both you and him to survive. Though, perhaps it would have been better if he had not. He will only obstruct us in the future."

"You don't have to say that, you know." Nyx looked away when she turned to him, staring instead at the center of the large crater they were heading down. "You can be happy about it."

"Can I truly?" Luna murmured, her hands squeezing tighter together. Her nails dug into her skin. "Even now, he is still with the empire, is he not?"

"I was hoping he'd died." Nyx shrugged. "It's fine if you're happy about it—no one else will be."

"Is that so?" Luna squeezed her hands one last time before finally dropping them to her sides. "I am happy, but also a little sad. I do not think he is my brother anymore." She smiled ruefully. "I think my brother died long ago, I had just hoped otherwise."

The Archaean roared. It took all of Nyx's strength not to fall backwards at the sight of this god towering over them, at this angry being who looked ready to smite at a moment's provocation. As it was, the heat was terrible enough without this added fear. Wiping his brow with his free hand, Nyx tightened his grip on his dagger.

In the middle of a stone ledge, Luna regally stood with her trident. He was never sure where this courage came from, where all that strength fit inside of that tiny, frail body. Even as the Archaean glared her down, Luna didn't back away. Determined, she held up her trident once more and beseeched, "Remember the covenant. The chosen king shall arrive soon to claim it."

A massive hand took a powerful swipe, his fingers just barely missing the young woman. Even then, she didn't flinch, and Nyx raised his dagger. A god. He could take it on. Maybe. At least, it would give Luna enough time to flee. "Princess, I think it's time to go."

"Stay back." She didn't turn around as she ordered him, her gaze steady on the god's.

"He's—"

"This is my duty." Those words again. Her duty. Her sacrifice. What visions of the future did the gods send her that she had completely forgotten self-preservation? "I will see it through."

Nyx gritted his teeth. "Fine." Crouching slightly, he kept his hand steady in case he needed to quickly drag her away. He could be stubborn too.

vi.

Luna pulled her jacket around her tighter. It was raining now, Ramuh sparking lightning and thunder across the sky, and they still had miles to go before they reached his location. In front of her, the meager fire Nyx had managed to make sputtered and died.

"Shit." Nyx leaned forward, shielding the weak embers. Using the dry kindle he had saved, he tried to coax the fire back to life. It was too late; despite the small alcove they were hiding in, the rain was determined to get in everywhere. With a sigh, he sat back. "Sorry, princess. Looks like we're in the cold again."

Princess. She hadn't liked the change in titles at first, but rolling off his lips, it sounded almost like a nickname. Curling up into a tighter ball, she sighed. "You tried your utmost. It is all I can ask for."

"Still. Would have been nice to be warm for once." Nyx leaned back against the wall. This close, she could make out the profile of his face, the rough scars that told stories she would never know. His usually neat braids were for once a little messy, unable to keep together in the constant rain. "I guess he got it?"

"Got what?" Luna asked, startled back into the conversation. "Who?"

"The Archaean. Noctis." Concerned, he looked down at her. "You sick, princess?"

"No, I am fine." Luna rubbed her cold arms. "Noctis did achieve the covenant, the Archaean was appeased. There is a reason all that heat vanished."

"And then Ramuh had to sweep in and make everything wet," Nyx commented blithely, a bitter expression on his face. "I guess it won't go away till he gets here?"

"Not until the covenant is forged," Luna confirmed regretfully.

"Then wouldn't it be quicker if we just travelled with him?"

"Not entirely." Luna buried her head in her arms, listening to the rain as it fell. The large droplets were comforting. "I had considered it. Unfortunately, the gods require ample preparation time and it would be too dangerous for both of us to travel together."

Nyx said nothing. They sat in silence, listening as the thunder rumbled in the distance. Lightning flashed, crashing to the earth on a lone tree in the mountains. Luna could hear Nyx breath shallowly, his body tense and ready for a fight. He was always ready to jump into battle, to defend, to protect. She had almost forgotten what it was like to be with someone else and share a burden.

"Do you want to see him?" Nyx asked, his voice softer now. She didn't look up to see his expression.

"Him?" She didn't need the clarification, not really.

"The prince."

"I do not know," Luna answered truthfully to her knees. It was a little easier like this, when all she could see was darkness. She thought of the wedding dress she would never wear. "I have not seen him since we were children. I am not sure what difference it would make now."

There was a small intake of air. Surprised, Nyx pressed on. "Then your engagement—"

"A ruse to ensure he left the city. To ensure I entered the city." Luna closed her eyes, remembering the little boy who read stories with her. Who had left her notes in her exchange diary, the one small thing she had allowed herself to have. "At one time though, I think there could have been love."

There was a long pause. She listened to the sound of him breathing. "And now?"

"Now there is no time for love, just duty." Just a single duty. She had seen the images many times by now: Leviathan, a bloody dagger, a ring. A chance to save the world, to change its destiny in exchange for her own. "I am the Oracle, I must finish what I set out to do."

"You know, it's okay to do something for yourself. For once." His voice was awkward, fumbling. His kindness more so. "If you want to see him…"

Did she? It was a question she both wanted and didn't want answered. She feared what the result would bring. "Nyx? Thank you."

vii.

A black dog darted out of the woods and Nyx resisted the urge to skewer the mutt. "It's you again."

"Who?" Luna broke into a smile at the sight of Umbra and kneeled down to pet him. "I take it he received the message?"

Umbra barked, his tail wagging proudly, and Nyx tried not to snort. A messenger to the gods? More like a magical dog.

Unwrapping the package on Umbra's back revealed an envelope overly stuffed with pictures. The snapshots spilled out, revealing its contents, and Luna lit up as she started to flip through them. "So it was Prompto this time, I take it."

Umbra yipped, laying down on his paws as he watched her.

Curious, Nyx picked one up. Two men were smiling at the camera, a woman in black standing just behind them. "They look like they're on a road trip."

"I am sure they did not want to send me sad photos." Luna glanced at the one in his hand. "Oh my." She raised a brow. "I did not know Gentiana could be seen like that."

Gentiana. Nyx blinked. The other messenger to the gods. He'd seen Luna talk to her when she thought he wasn't listening, her voice low and calm as she discussed their plans. Or rather, he'd seen Luna talk to the empty air, since apparently Gentiana was invisible to all. The only thing he noticed was the waves of sadness that saturated the air during each meeting.

"Maybe I should get a camera." She was invisible to all but the lens, it seemed. He stared at her placid expression, her neatly clasped hands. She looked just as unhappy as he'd expected.

viii.

I'll keep you safe, Nyx had sworn.

On a boat to Altissia, Luna stared into the waves, the Glaive's words echoing in her head. Part of her wanted to believe him.

A part of her knew better.

viii.

There was a part of him that had expected this. Well, not all of this—it would take a prophet to anticipate the destruction of a city, the massive body of the leviathan, the endless troopers. And it had. And that prophet was now sitting in a pool of her blood, leaning on her trident as she struggled to stand.

It had taken him a second to warp to her side, his hands carefully cradling her to his chest. "I'll find a doctor, it'll be okay." The words rushed out of him, an unfamiliar sense of panic rising within him. His fingers shook slightly as he held her. "You'll be okay."

"It's fine," Luna coughed, her voice already faint. A bloody hand rose up to cup his cheek, a soft smile on her face. "I knew this would happen."

And so had he, no matter how much he had wanted to deny it. Her words had been laced with goodbye since the moment he'd met her. "A doctor," he repeated, getting up. Maybe he could find an evacuation team. Or go to where all of the residents were taken to. His mind was a mess, thoughts tumbling out of him, and he froze indecisively.

"Nyx." Weakly, she pushed his jaw toward her to grab his attention once more. "Noctis must be saved. The ring must be delivered. It is too late for me, but the world still has a chance. You know this as well as I do."

And he did, and he did, but there was a difference between knowing and accepting. Red blossomed all over her white dress, her skin growing cooler with every second that passed.

"Nyx," she murmured.

"I know," he answered, leaning down till their foreheads touched. His hand reached for his dagger.

It ended as it started, with fire and water. The ring slipped onto Noctis's finger and Nyx closed his eyes as the coals simmering underneath his skin erupted into flames once more. The kings had come to claim their pound of flesh. His body started to flake apart, like ash, like dust, like petals in the wind.

Nyx, a voice called out to him, a voice like a soothing balm on his frayed nerves.

Luna, he thought, and he reached into the void.