This is late but CREDIT TO THE INCREDIBLE PhantomWolf64 FOR THE NEW AMAZING COVER. I still can't get to work for posting on Archive yet, but at least you guys here can see it! I love it so much!
It had been an uneventful day. Peaceful, even. For not the first time lately, there had been nothing that required Luna's immediate attention. She'd been able to settle down on her bed with a book that Dino had brought with him last time he'd been in the city. And she had a nice cup of tea that was something other than apple flavored.
There was no one to heal. No crisis that needed tending to. Luna was merely enjoying a break. And not even the first one she'd had lately.
Which is why she wasn't remotely surprised when her phone rang to interrupt her.
Now that was what she'd kept expecting to happen whenever she got a moment like this one.
"Yes, Marshall?" Luna answered swiftly after glancing at the caller's identity.
"City entrance. Now. We have injured."
"On my way." Luna didn't hesitate in the slightest. Cor was hardly ever not serious, but that particular tone was definitely one that spoke of ill.
Could it be more survivors? A team of Glaives that ran into misfortune? Did they need Scourge treatment, or just normal medical care.
It didn't take her long to locate those who had run into trouble once she neared the entrance to the city. In fact, she'd realized who had been in trouble long before she even got close.
There was only one group that used chocobos in a group fashion.
Oh, no.
"Lunafreya!"
Luna slowed for just a moment as Ignis caught up with her. "Ignis… Do you know what happened?"
Ignis shook his head briefly, his shoulder stiff with tension. "I had hoped you might know more than I'd been told."
"Only that my services were needed." She sped up her walk again. "Although I am not entirely certain which ones."
Evan was the first of the boy that came into sight when they rounded the corner, and Luna heard Ignis let out a shaky sigh of relief.
…Evan did not look well, though. Not mentally. Physically, Luna couldn't see any injuries, but he was undoubtedly trying to hold back tears as he attempted to calm his frantic chocobo.
Oh, dear. Oh Astrals, this did not bode well for the rest of his group.
"Evan!" Ignis was instantly moving to his side, assisting him with the bird while comforting the boy at the same time. Evan's tears broke free as soon as Ignis' hand came to rest on his shoulder.
Luna swallowed as she tried to take in the rest of the situation. She was not going to like what she was about to find – she knew it.
The distressed chocobos were difficult to hear over, but Luna focused as she looked, and was able to recognize Delilah's voice in the chaos.
She was alive too, then. Alive and tending to an injured wrist of Dino's.
Good. That was three down.
Echo! Where was–
No. No Echo hadn't been on this journey. Loqi had mentioned his injury last time he'd sent them a report. He was safe in Crestholm.
Then that just left two unknown fates.
"Lunafreya."
The barely audible cue was enough for Luna to locate Cor's still form in the sea of movement before her, and she weaved over to him as quickly as she could. He was absolutely serious, but he didn't appear to be in a rush.
"Delilah is handling the smaller injuries sustained." The Marshal's grave face gave her no true hints, and the squawking birds around were not helping her focus.
"Smaller?" Luna repeated. None of the hospital staff were here, so nothing too severe could have needed treating. So, either they'd all actually them escaped unscathed, or…
"I didn't call you here for you physical healing abilities," Cor shifted slightly, his brace mechanics giving their usual whine as he moved so she could see past him. "You also have a way with words that helps those with the pains of the heart, and as his closer companions are either hurting themselves or not present…"
He drifted off, leaving her to fill in the rest as she spotted Loqi.
Loqi's smaller height had always been a running joke, but he'd never looked so small as now. He was slumped with his back against the wall of a building, sitting in the dirt on the ground with the blank look of detached shock on his face.
"Petra…" Luna realized, remembering that he was supposed to make the journey today.
Cor nodded. "None of the others were harmed much physically, but this will no doubt be a blow that will leave lasting damage to this group in particular."
Indeed it would. Luna wished Ravus was here. He and Loqi were… well, from what she'd seen, they were as close as two men like them let themselves get to friends. But Ravus was in Crestholm, and Loqi definitely needed some support.
"I'll see what comfort I can offer," Luna told Cor. Ignis would no doubt already be trying to handle the boys, but as wise as he was, Loqi still barely knew him.
Cor nodded again, stepping away to presumably undertake some other task. Losing one of their primary cities leaders was bound to leave him with matters to attend as well.
Lunafreya sighed softly, approaching Loqi and crouching down before taking a seat on her knees before him. "Hello."
Loqi startled, apparently too lost in his thoughts to even notice that she'd approached.
She smiled sympathetically. "I'm so very sorry. I know he meant much to you."
Loqi scoffed, blinking several times. "We hated each other at first. There was a time we would have thrown each other to the daemons to save our own skin." He swiped angrily at the tears his blinking shook free before they had a chance to actually fall down his face. "I'd assumed I'd be the one to perish if either of us fell. I was the one out risking my life. He was always taking care of the city logistics."
Luna reached to take one of his hands in her own. "It's difficult to be the ones that live on. We all have known that for a very long time, yet each time it happens the pain strikes anew. I don't think we ever truly get used to it."
Loqi let his eyes slip closed as he grasped her hand in his own and leaned his back against the wall behind him. "We shouldn't have to. Human beings weren't meant to withstand this. Any of this. I don't know how much longer we can endure at this point. This isn't life – it's just trying not to die."
"We needn't endure forever." Luna reached up with one hand to wipe some grim from Loqi's cheek. "We're just buying time until the world can truly be saved."
"Saved," he repeated dryly. "What's left to save at this point? Even our good times – our golden age – is a fraction of what we all once new. Humanity is a shell of what it was."
"Perhaps we are," she agreed. For how well they'd coped thus far, it was nothing compared to the world before the darkness, and that world had been at constant war.
How far had they fallen from humanity at its peak? When had that peak even been? When had they lost their way?
But… "But we can forge better for our children."
Loqi cracked an eye open. "Isn't your fiancé set to come back and immediately die for us all?"
Luna flinched slightly. That was a truth she'd long accepted, but she hadn't ever heard it delivered quite so bluntly as that.
Loqi winced. "Apologies. My tact is… lacking at the moment."
"I'd noticed." She swallowed. He'd been through a great deal today. She was hardly going to hold his thoughtlessness against him here. "But you aren't wrong. Children have never been an option for me, though I had initially assumed I would have already passed long ago. But the point still stands for others' children, such as yours."
He made a face. "I don't like kids."
She arched an eyebrow. "Well… I hate to be the one to tell you this… but you have three."
He snorted. "That's not the same thing." He made a move to get up. "I need to speak with Cor. about Crestholm's leadership–"
Luna stopped him with a hand on his chest, stalling his movement. "That can wait. Take a moment for yourself, Loqi. Ravus is still watching over Crestholm. Our situation doesn't usually grant us much time for grieving, but you needn't push down your sorrow so immediately. You and your team are more than welcome to spend a few hours in memoriam."
Ignis might have had Dino and Even at the moment, but the group would need to heal with each other.
Loqi slumped a little, sighing. "…I should have been able to save him. I was right there. I could have gotten him out if only I'd had a bit more time."
Time. Yes, it always did seem to come back to that.
Time until supplies ran out.
Time until Noctis returned.
Time until yet another tragedy struck.
