Galdin Quay

Based on the resort area by the beach in FFXV.

AN: A peek on Lightning's backstory if she was born in the FFXV universe.

With bare feet, she stood by the shores of Galdin Quay, watching the sun set down the horizon filled with orange and purple hues. The feeling of wet sand between her toes, the gentle waves caressing her hair and body, and the salty smell of the ocean as she took a deep breath were all reminiscent of her childhood.

Bodhum. A beachfront town very much like Galdin Quay. It was the hotspot tourist destination for people vacationing out of Lucis.

It was a peaceful town. They didn't have much to offer aside from the beach. People led a quiet and quaint life away from the sleepless, bustling metropolis of Lucis. It was a simple town, until the invasion of the Imperial Forces. Their invasion allowed the Empire to move closer to the Crown City, claiming towns within the Cavaugh Region such as Galahd and the people who lived there.

The casualties were many. Everyone in Bodhum were innocent civilians. Including her little sister.

Lightning took another deep breath as she watched the sky bleed more orange with the setting sun. The color reminded her of the day of the invasion.

There were flames everywhere. Houses burned to the ground. Lifeless bodies spread across the village. The simple town was turned into a warzone. A land, in which the day before, was lush with green trees, white sands, and sky blue waters, now turned into a wasteland of fire and blood. The gentle breeze was now filled with screams of despair and lost.

Within the crossfire of Niflheim forces, a young girl stood amidst the chaos. She had her arm wrapped around a body of another girl younger than she. Their pink hair blended with the auburn colors that engulfed the town. With her other arm, she clutched a sword she had just found, pointing the sharp end towards a man who also held a sword.

The man was in a defensive position. His posture was bent, guarded, and his katana ready at his hip. He approached the girl with caution.

"Easy there." He murmured, eyeing the sword in her hand. "Nobody needs to get hurt."

"Haven't you hurt us enough?!" The girl shouted, enraged. The sword in her hand was steady with purpose. "My home, my sister…" She felt the weight of her sister's body around her arm and eased her to the ground. She was already long gone.

"You brought them to us." The girl hissed at the Lucian man. Quick as lightning, she brought her sword forward to charge at him.

"Light?"

The sound of her name brought her back to the present. She turned and saw Noctis making his way to her. With his pants rolled up to his knees, he joined her by the sand and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You alright?" He asked, worried. He noticed her staring at the ocean without moving and he knew she was deep in thought.

She nodded. "Yeah. I was just thinking."

"About what?" He pressed. Whatever she was thinking about, it made her look sad.

"Home."

His eyes widened slightly in understanding. "I'm sure we'll get back after the union of the Prince and Oracle stuff."

Lightning bit her lip, unease settling in her stomach. For some reason, she couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. That they won't be able to come back home.

She sighed, knowing it was useless to dwell on insecurities. All she can do is prepare for the worst. "I hope so."

He quickly picked up on her uncharacteristic display of pessimism. "You don't sound convinced."

"I just…" She crossed her arms and sighed again. "I've already lost so much." Her hands went to hug her arms, rubbing as if to comfort herself. "I don't want to lose what I have right now."

Noctis could only watch her. In all honesty, he could never relate to her feelings. Lightning was a woman who had loved and lost, again and again. While she puts up a strong front, her experiences had made her deeply vulnerable, to a point where tragedy became a constant in her life.

He wouldn't let her think that way. He wouldn't let her simply accept the crap life throws at her. She was stronger than that.

"Hey." He squeezed her shoulder lightly. "Look, Lightning. We've known each other for a while now." He felt his ears go warm as he prepared what he was going to say, but it needed to be said. "And I just want you to know, I'm here for you." He struggled to maintain her gaze, resisting the urge to shy away from the intensity of her blue eyes. "You won't lose me. I'll always be by your side, just like you are by mine."

He watched her lips curl into a small smile. "I should be the one saying that."

"Yeah, well, too bad." He chuckled, still a bit embarrassed.

"Thanks, Noct. I needed that." She turned to gaze at the ocean once more, now feeling more calm. She noticed that he always had that effect on people, whether through his actions or his words. He would make a fine King someday and she would be honored to serve at his side when the time comes.

He cleared his throat. "We should get going." As if on cue, his stomach made a rumbling noise. He rubbed the back of his neck, more embarrassed than before. "Ignis said we have a reservation at the restaurant."

They retreated from the waters, their footsteps sloshing and their voices fading. "Really? I thought we were on a tight budget." Lightning said, skeptical that they had enough money to eat at the resort.

"Coctura was nice enough to give us a discount."

The Glaive scoffed. "I really hope you didn't abuse your title."

"Hey, it was all Iggy's idea."

"Hn. Right."

AN: Ngah, a bit cheesy, but Light needs reassurance that she won't lose her precious person *cries* I thought it'd be really cool to have Bodhum as one of the cities / towns outside of Lucis, like Galahd. Where she's a refugee like Nyx and she found a home in Insomnia *cries more* The man with the katana, if you didn't know, was Cor. I've always envisioned him taking her under his wing and training her. And this fic is not a sequel to the events of last chapter.

To the lovely Guest: sorry, I'm not gonna kill myself just because you don't like my fic :D I honestly don't care if you're against me or my writing, but spewing words of suicide is something not to be taken lightly. Seems to me you're the one with the sad life.