Day 47:

"I suppose this is goodbye." Luna stood on the Citadel steps looking up at him. It was so early it was still dark. Noct hadn't been out of bed so early in his whole life. Except on those times when he was still out of bed at this time of day instead of already out of bed.

"Guess so," he said.

A car was waiting to take her to Galdin, where she could catch a ferry to Altissia. He'd already sorted that all out. All she had to do was step into the car and go fulfill her destiny or whatever.

"You don't believe this will work, do you?" She asked.

He hadn't really told her what Reina had said. That maybe they could just kill everyone and that would solve the problem but talking about it never would. Well. Reina's plans had worked for Niflheim, but maybe Luna was as good at talking as Reina was at killing. Hopefully.

"I dunno, Luna." Noctis tugged at his hair. "Nothing's really simple like it used to be. I hope it works—I really do—but do the Astrals really have any reason to listen to you?"

"I am the Oracle; the voice of the people for the Astrals. My bloodline was chosen to be listened to."

"Yeah, chosen by the same Astrals who made the Starscourge and then chose me to kill myself for them."

She looked shocked first, then hurt. Just for a second and then it was gone. He almost wished she would just admit to feeling something for once and stop pretending to be some sort of marble saint. But, now that he thought about it, she was different lately. She wasn't pristine and polished anymore. And she wasn't talking in that perpetual holier-than-thou tone. Almost sounded like she was a real person sometimes.

Noctis sighed and tugged at his hair. "Look. I hope it works, okay? I'm just not feeling real optimistic lately, so don't try to push your luck or anything. If things start looking bad, get out before it's too late."

She opened her mouth, like she was going to say something, then stopped herself. It took a second before she tried again. When she did she looked down at his shoes.

"You're right," she said. "I should remember that the Astrals aren't what I thought they were. I want to believe they would not harm the Oracle for delivering a request of the people… but I also want to believe they would never create a plague like the Starscourge."

"And I want to believe I'll get to sleep in again someday, but we don't usually get what we want."

"No." She smiled hesitantly up at him. "What will you do when this is over?"

Over? This was just the start.

"Figure out how to rule a kingdom, I guess. So maybe Dad can take a break for once."

"And… regarding me?"

"What do you mean?"

"When I arrived in Lucis it was as your betrothed and I…" She hesitated. Not like her. She looked down at her hands; she was twisting a handkerchief between her fingers. "I'm uncertain what is to become of me now."

Noct suppressed a groan. Now? They were going to do this now, when she was leaving?

She looked back up at him. "But if you don't want to—well—I can understand why," she said hurriedly.

"Look. Luna. I don't know. Realized these last few weeks that I don't really know you. And you don't know me at all. So maybe we should start there before you get tied up in what happens later. But this is really not a good time."

"I know," she nodded at his shoes. "You have your kingdom to occupy you."

"Yeah, I guess, there's that. And the God that's trying to kill my whole family. And the fact that my sister woke up seven weeks ago ten years older. So yeah. I've got some things to keep busy with right now. I'm not saying we can't get to know each other and be friends again some time. But I don't have space for anyone else in my head right now."

"I understand." He wished she wouldn't use that tiny little voice. Yeah, he'd wanted her to be a bit more human and less statue, but that hadn't included crying. "You love your sister very much. And you should. She needs you right now."

"Yeah." Noct sighed. "I know."

Even if she was having a hard time admitting it.

"I suppose I should be leaving. Ravus will be waiting," Luna said.

"He's going with you?"

"He's to meet me in Altissia," she said. "He's not so different from you in that respect."

He loved his sister. Right. Sure. But it was hard to picture that guy loving anyone at all. Then again, it was hard to picture Rei loving anyone at all if you caught her in the wrong light.

"Right," Noct said.

Luna turned and stepped down one step.

"Luna," he said.

She stopped.

"Thanks for understanding. We can talk when you get back. Maybe when this is all over…" He shrugged and left that sentence hanging because he didn't know what to put at the end of it. He wasn't sure what he wanted to put at the end of it.

She smiled. It wasn't really happy.

"When this is over," she agreed.