Hi everyone! I should have worked on Unexpected, but I was inspired for this story instead and I really, really wanted to get a new chapter done. Today, we have character development on Prompto, one Astral and one intense flashback with Noctis and Regis. I hope you'll like this chapter! It's super duper long, which explains why it took me so much time to got it out. XD
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Stranded
Chapter 5 – Cold hands
Metal and thrusters hurled and hissed while bullets as large as Noctis's head ripped through the air. The empire's MTs were lying on the ground, broken dolls, but their Prima roared, crushing everything under his heels whenever its frame touched down. The Tenebraean soldiers screamed, men and women send sprawling as the mechanized monster landed for the nth time. It fired hell on their troops. Raining fire and blood in its wake. After two weeks of battles after battles, Luna's rebellion had pushed the empire behind its frontlines and even beyond. Lunafreya wanted to erase the threat and kick back Aldercapt back home.
Noctis was glad they hadn't seen Glauca in the field again, but was getting a little more worried of the general's absence. The empire had been preparing an attack on Insomnia, thinking that taking the crystal could help them, since they hadn't been able to subdue the Oracle of the gods. And he was starting to worry about his homeland, although he really should be focusing on the present situation. He didn't want to think what kind of damage Glauca could cause in Insomnia. Or worse yet, Lestallum. The town's protection was pretty barebone, not to say literally inexistent.
"Dude! On your left!" Argentum called out.
Cael saw the metallic claw coming down on him and warped away. He'd dropped the pretenses last week regarding this power, seeing as fellow soldiers were in danger, While Biggs and Wedge had voiced shock, their Nif recruit sounded unimpressed. The blond sniper was a daredevil himself, waiting till the very last instant to take his shots, rushing ahead of danger and pulling stunts after stunts. The latest involved competing with Cael to know which of them could take out the more enemies in a day. And they had agreed that one prima amounted to 10 MTs. Cael was pretty certain he could take it out all by himself, but Argentum wasn't ready to let that target go.
The gunshots rang as Prom emptied his charger. His sniper was tied to his shoulder, and the automatic gun in his hands looked far too big for his frame.
"You can't take out that thing with a gun!" Cael warned.
"Just watch me, bro!"
The ground shook under their feet. It was almost impossible to keep their balance, but both of them managed, half jumping, half running. Lunafreya was a few feet back, covered by the rest of her troops as she casted magic shields and bolt of pure light into the fading ranks of Nifelheim. Prom and Cael were single-handedly keeping away the Prima, the first making a barrage of bullets and reloading in record time. The second was warping left and right, zipping through the air, throwing magic flasks at the thing. Ice to slow him down, make it skid to a halt. But then the mechanized monster would rise up in the air. Which meant a new warp, planting his engine blade between wires and climbing his way up to the more fragile parts of the Prima. Joints were reinforced, but with a cunning shot, Prompto took out one claw. Cael hated falling behind and warped three times, fighting against the dizziness and how numb his limbs were getting. He could barely tell up from down, pinned to the thing like a mosquito taking a ridiculous bite.
"Don't get in my line of fire now, Cael," Prom warned him.
"Focus on his legs. I'll be up in a second," he shot back.
And much to his words, he threw a dagger up and followed it suit. Quicksilver wasn't far behind, breaking down the prima's left knee with a precision shot. A week ago, Cael wouldn't have taken such a risk. But Prom had had his back more than once and proved reliable, if not invaluable. They had little experts on guns and Lunafreya was slowly warming up to the idea of letting Quicksilver train some of their men. All they needed was the right equipment. And after this fight, they were pretty sure to reach a Nifelheim factory.
The prima had burst out of it in a flurry of metal, the last line of defense with a handful of Magiteck soldiers. They were all down, Luna efficiently taking them out despite what had been brought to her attention by Noctis.
"Those MTs, what are they really? They bleed and they crack down, but it's all green ooze and…" Biggs had asked once, putting Quicksilver on the spot.
"Now, that's a tough one. You sure you wanna know, bro?"
Cael shrugged as the pair of fighters looked up at him, refusing to treat this situation like one where his opinion should settle the question. He was already giving enough orders as it was and despite his past position, he didn't feel quite comfortable in ordering them around outside of a battlefield.
"Haven't we seen enough messed up stuff already? How wrong can it be?" Wedge insisted.
Prom grimaced.
"It's pretty fucked up. Each MT is a human-turned daemon. At first, they were freely recruited and it was an honor for the citizens to give their children to our army. When the children stopped getting home, things went a bit awry."
Cael had jumped on his feet at that, which made Prompto snap his head in his direction.
"What happened?"
"Verstael started breeding soldiers. And stealing genetic material wherever he saw fit, kidnapping citizens all over the empire. Most of the people in Nifelheim are either sick or mad with terror by now."
"Why do they even keep human soldiers then?"
"They might take longer to grow, but they don't break in the same way those MTs do."
No one had observed the fact Prom didn't include him in the human soldiers category. They were already shocked enough as it was to have a better idea of how broken from the inside the empire already was. And Cael had vowed to dig into this new mystery as soon as possible. But they'd moved up to the front and it had been once hectic battle after the other.
"Incoming!" Quicksilver called out.
Cael whirled on himself, using his warping power to walk up the cockpit, his engine blade shredding the metal open. Until blood and oil mixed in the air. The pilot had red eyes. Man-made daemon. Magiteck. Another victim of their war. One less danger for Tenebrae, for Lucis. And maybe even, for Nifelheim itself.
…
"Are you okay, Prom?"
"I don't know, bro. Although, it's a bit weird of you to ask…"
Venturing inside the weapon factory was surreal. The place was virtually devoid of life or resistance. Machines working on chain of montage as far as the eyes went. And tubes large enough to hold a full-grown man on the walls. Quicksilver was growing tenser and tenser.
"You look like you're expecting the bogeyman to show up," Cael observed.
Hesitation and resignation battled on the pale man's features. He settled for lowered shoulders and the deepest sigh the exiled prince had heard in quite some time.
"This place looks a lot like that guy's lab."
"What guy?" Cael insisted.
"The MTs breeder. I heard the crazy bastard is still alive."
Verstael, Cael thought.
"How dangerous is he without his toys?"
"Oh, he always keeps his best toys around him, believe me," Prom retorted. "Keep an eye on the ceiling. Yell if you see the shadow of a robot gorilla."
Cael blinked, but before he could ask for a clearer explanation, Prom stalked off at Lunafreya's call. It was time for their report.
…
"The frontlines are under control," the princess reminded him for the nth time. "We can leave things in Monica's hands."
"But what do you expect of the Glacian? And why is Gentiana so insistent about it?"
Luna wanted to visit Shiva's grave and she was taking only Quicksilver and him for protection. A quick return to the Fleuret manor after their last victory had confirmed the rumors of Monica Leonis's visit. Top intelligentsia agent, expert tactician and Cor's mysterious wife, Monica had seldomly visited Lunafreya over the years. She'd never tell the young girl where her husband -former mentor of the princess- had disappeared to. All she brought was intel on Lucis and critical information on Nifelheim.
"The king of Lucis is getting worse by the day and Aldercapt thinks he'll get a better chance against you if he can subjugate Lucis," Monica started off without a greeting. "With the crystal, he would control the glaives, and more. The crown prince is supposed to set off to collect his royal arms. But from what I've seen from his recent magical training, something is really wrong with him."
Noctis had mentally kicked himself for the step forward he took and the intensity of his stare, but he couldn't help himself. This was the first news from his father and baby brother in months. Luna called off Gentiana and had the meeting concluding behind closed doors.
"If the idea hasn't crossed your mind yet, an alliance…"
The princess snapped at that. "I don't mean to offend you, Monica, but Lucis turned their back on Tenebrae when Regis declared neither of his sons needed the Oracle."
She gave a brief, but genuinely apologetic look to Noctis, who simply shrugged. He wasn't going to let politics darken his vision of her and he fully understand her anger at Regis. He wasn't willing to admit it out loud, but the idea of her never meeting his brother was music to his ears.
"I didn't remember you like that, young lady. Surely you see the utility…"
"I'll ally myself with the Astrals first. If we can protect Accordo and Lucis, we will, but we are no asking for either of their permission."
Monica let out a long breath.
"Fine then. If your aim is the Astrals, I can surely have my hunters clearing up a path for you in Lucis. But I hope you remember I am not your enemy."
Luna lost some of her belligerence and gave the older woman a pained smile.
"I could never see you as an enemy, Monica. We're friends and I don't want to see Lucis in ruins. But the priority goes to my people. And to those affected by the blight."
"Your mother would be quite proud," Monica noted. "But haven't you done enough for Tenebrae? And how can you prioritize it if you run after the Astrals?"
"They can make me stronger. Strong enough to take out Glauca, and all of Aldercapt daemons."
Noctis found it hard to keep silent. If the crystal had chosen him like it should have, he would have been the one to collect the Astrals. In between battles, sometimes right after some rushed up comfort sex, Luna had been going through every volume of the cosmonogy. She needed all the power she could have and feared the expanding blight. Among the few citizens they'd met in Nifelheim, only one out of four was sane of flesh. She had healed everyone, but the process was taxing, forcing her away from the battlefield for much longer than she could accept.
After hours of reading and re-reading, Lunafreya had found her answer. If she could revive the Glacian, the other Astrals would linger far longer when she'd call them. And the right sacrifices would ensure their help, with or without crystal. It was Etro's will that her children would be saved.
"I wonder what your exiled prince has to say about this," Monica declared.
Noctis steeled his heart. The title sounded almost foreign to him. Luna gave him a questioning look, worrying her lower lip. They usually didn't talk of Lucis if they could help it and she clearly felt bad for not being the one to ask for his opinion first.
"I'm prince no more, Monica. And I don't object my liege's view. The blight is festering and Ravus isn't doing anything about it. If I can amend for the sins of my family…" He struggled to get the last word out. "…I'll do everything in my power," he finished.
"You really don't have to go that far," Luna told him, her voice wavering despite her efforts to hold down her feelings.
As their eyes locked together, Noctis felt a wave of warmth rising in his heart. He wanted to tell her wrong, tell her how far he was ready to go if it was for her, but the words died in the back of his throat. She had to suspect it already. There was only so many things his hands could share through loving caresses.
Monica brought them to reality.
"Sounds like you're an even better team than what I heard so far. And you do have an alliance. Do you have any idea how many soldiers would follow you if you were to ask for help, Cael?"
Noctis shifted uncomfortably on his legs.
"You know what they accused me of, don't you?"
"I also happen to know you've been framed," Monica shot back. "Make that known to the glaives and they'll flock right back to your side."
He winced at the notion. It wasn't like he hadn't tried to clear his name. But magic couldn't be proven like common murder. Too little people used it and the sorcery used against him and Gladiolus still left him baffled. If he couldn't explain it to himself, how was he going to convince anyone?
"We'll cross that bridge when we get there," Luna suggested. "For now, I need to test Gentiana's theory. And I would like to have the Lionness keeping an eye on the frontlines for me."
"I knew I could be of service. Be warned that your soldiers might get addicted to my cooking. I doubt you can afford that," the so-called Lionness teased her.
…
"At.. Aat… Aaatchoooo! Damn, it's so freaking cold here," Prom complained.
Noctis's teeth were almost clattering together, while Luna progressed without even a hint of discomfort. On the fifth lament from the gunman, the princess pinched his leg, which had Noctis frowning. Wasn't she getting a little too comfortable with that blond guy?
"I had warned you against wearing jeans, but did either of you listened?! Winter is almost here and it was always worse around the Glacian's grave."
They came by airship and then snowmobiles, but a mile and a half before reaching their destination, Luna had ordered them to walk. Shiva resented technology and only cared for the strong.
"How are we sure that she'll even be there?" Noctis asked, fighting against his chittering teeth.
"How many times are you going to ask that question?"
"Until I get a satisfying answer," Noctis retorted with as much fire.
The smiled she flashed him was warm enough for even Prompto to feel better, although the gunman knew it was only directed to Cael. The bond and complicity between these two was almost painful to watch. Everyone around the manor knew. Biggs and Wedge had a few bets about when the princess and her bodyguard would admit what was going on. And all the former Nifelheim could think was whether Tenebrae would welcome the news of a foreign prince and potential king-slayer as its consort king.
He didn't really care much, he had his own dark secrets, but one had to wonder how such a "secret" could remain secret that long…
"I know this all seems really farfetched, but Gentiana was adamant I had to bring you two with me, otherwise, this wouldn't even…"
The princess was interrupted by a gust of wind that chilled them all to the bones. The frozen landscape which had been nothing but snow and far-away mountains was now broken down by large shadows. Their next step confirmed the shadows were in fact daemons. But much to their surprise, none of them moved.
"Are they…?" Quicksilver started.
"…frozen." Noctis finished. "All of them."
There were magiteck soldiers too, or at least, their armor reminded them all of MTs, but upon closer inspection, they had been fully human when they fought for the empire.
"We're here," Luna stated, sounding just as surprised as her two bodyguards looked. "The Glacian's grave…"
The blanket of snow turned to ice and threatened to send them into a heap of limbs and soreness, but the princess stopped, noticing movement through the snow suddenly coming down from the sky. A silhouette stood before them, a woman, with dark hair and a complexion so pale, it was a wonder she could even stand up before them. The storm grew strong enough to impair their vision, making it impossible to distinguish her face. But her voice was cold and pure, ice in their ears.
"So you came."
Noctis was shaking from the sheer cold and Prom's teeth were chattering together now.
Luna spoke in a language neither man had ever heard. Her words vibrated through the air, her voice stronger and reaching further, while the other-worldly speaker answered with a deep, raw tone that almost burned their ears.
"Are you willing to pay the sacrifice for my powers? Following an Oracle instead of a king is… unprecedented."
Luna swallowed and nodded.
"Sadly, the choice doesn't fall to you. Your role as an Oracle would normally be to sustain the price in the place of the chosen king. Except there is no chosen king."
Noctis's heart missed a beat at that. Ravus was the chosen king. The crystal…
"The hell?!" Prom groaned.
"Silence, Nif soldier."
"What is she even saying?" Quicksilver insisted, only for Shiva to retort with a flick of her fingers, a gust of wind rushing up to the gunman and zipping his lips closed with a layer of ice.
Prom choked and as panic settled, the princess undid the spell with her healing light, angrily looking at the mysterious woman that didn't seem quite as mysterious as before. Luna took a step forward, gasping as she realized why the cold voice sounded so familiar.
"Gentiana?!"
"More or less," the woman replied. "I don't want to keep you freezing up here for long, but there is a test and a price to be paid. I had to wait years and I had to keep my true identity a secret for I was too weak to face another attack…"
Closing the distance between the Oracle and her, Gentiana let the mask fall, her skin turning blue and her clothes shrinking into minimalist strings of metal that did little to hide her curves. Noctis and Quicksilver were frozen from the sheer shock, the exiled prince trying to find back his voice. How could there be no chosen king when the crystal had made its choice?
"I was allegedly killed as the Glacean," Shiva started explained. "But instead of dying, I was reduced to my weakest form. A human body. I was first drawn out of my eternal winter by your mother's powers. And then you were born and I knew my prayers had been answered. Your light, lady Lunafreya, your light is stronger than that of any Oracle I have seen. The only condition for you making a pact with me is the identity of the debtor."
Luna was shaken. She wasn't sure if she had a right to feel tricked. Gentiana had been rough, but kind, a sister and sometimes even a mother to her. Always looking after her, reminding her to watch her temper, warning her of potential threats, never afraid to get her hands dirty if it meant protecting the princess.
"You never said anything about having someone else than myself paying that price…" Luna observed.
"Because I knew you wouldn't come in that case. I'm the only logical step if you want to forge covenants with either of the Astrals. And including Noctis Caelum in the bargain is only logical. While lacking, he has the blood of the old kings running through his veins."
The cold had reached said man's soul and he roared with anger, his fingers lighting up with flames.
Quicksilver took a careful step back, one hand reaching to his gun. His movements were slowed down by how cold he felt.
"Gentiana, how dare you…" Luna started, only to be interrupted by Shiva, who was looking down on Noctis with an amused smile.
"So he does understand my words too. You might not be as lacking as I first thought. So then, I will ask you one question, exiled prince. Between Lunafreya, the trained Oracle, and you–attempted fratricide–, which one has more chances of purging the Scourge from this world? Can you heal people? Can you do anything else than destroy whatever you touch?"
"I'm no fratricide, you…!"
"Easy, easy, I'm harsh and I like to strike nerves. I know Luna can channel my powers. But first I need to know if you'll try to get in her way. Or to claim the Astrals as yours. You have every reason to want our powers for yourself."
"Dude, either you burn the bitch, which isn't likely to work, either you turn those flames off. Would someone here care to tell me what's going on?" Quicksilver complained.
Shiva cleared her throat and let her voice shift to something more human, switching to the actual human tongue. Noctis hadn't even realized Luna and her had been speaking in the god language. He'd studied it long ago, but it had been mostly gibberish to him back then. Why could he understand it now?! And how far was Shiva going to mess around with him?
"I'm here because the Scourge and the empire for that matter have been given free reign for long enough," Shiva explained. "Lady Lunafreya can bring a stop to this, if she collects every Astral through covenant, but the legends and the rules were based on a Lucian king gathering our powers."
"Oh…" Prompto's eyes cleared up from all the questions. "And since Cael here… I mean… Noctis, am I right? Since Noctis here is pretty close to a Lucian king despite his forced exile, he could try himself at that covenant instead of the princess."
"How do you know all that?!" Noctis asked.
"Bro, you can swallow fire into your body like a freaking djinn. And Cael is close enough to Caelum. If you want to take a false name, you should put more thought in it."
"Look who's talking, Prompto Argentum," Shiva shot back, her smile growing almost too large as the gunman turned red. "I always do my homework when new people arrive in Luna's life. And your presence here is more than a single coincidence. Forging covenants would normally take a heavy toll on the Oracle. She can't pay it if she's the recipient of my power. I won't allow it."
"So your condition for lending her powers is that the fake prince and I pay that so called toll in her stead? I didn't sign up for this." Prompto retorted angrily.
"And I swear, Prompto that it wasn't my intension to ask that of you. Neither of you," Luna declared, her eyes genuinely sorry once again.
Noctis was growing tired of seeing that apologetic look on her face. She was almost a queen, she had a right to demand things out of her subjects. She had a right to ask others to sacrifice themselves for her. And he had vowed to do anything in his power if it meant helping her. She was fighting the good fight. Her heart was so big, her will so strong. He still remembered her face when she'd cry herself to sleep between his arms after infructuous reads or learning how many more people were affected by the blight. The sound of her sobs, shattering him. How she choked on the tears as she tried to hold them back, until she gave up pretending because his kisses and hands promised her no judgement. If she could fix how broken this world was, who was he to object? He forced his frozen legs to move and walked up to stand by his lover's side.
"I'll do it," Noctis stated. "I don't want any Astral powers, I just want to help."
Luna gaped at him, looking too pale, skin translucent, her breath barely holding steady.
"If you're the only one paying the toll, you'll die from it," Shiva warned him.
"What?! No, I won't allow it!" Lunafreya shot back, her hand gripping to Noctis's arm.
"It was the Fleuret's women destiny for as long as we waited for a chosen king," Shiva observed. Each covenant will eat away at your flesh. If the burden is shared, both debtors should survive."
Luna was aghast as she understood what the sacrifice truly was. Shiva was blunt about the chances either of her men had of getting through the ordeal. But it was contrary to the Oracle's ways to even think of letting someone else suffer when she was the one asking for something.
"Whoa, slow down ice bitch," Prompto started. "Are you telling me… that even if I were to accept, our odds of surviving aren't guaranteed?!"
"I think the fact you are still alive is already a miracle. Watch that language. And remember what we're up against. Do you want the empire's state to become Eos's reality? A worldwide pandemic, with humans shifting into monsters until your entire specie is too warped to be recognized as anything else than darkness?"
It was hard to swallow that down, but the temperature had dropped even more and Prompto shifted closer to Luna, the princess squaring her shoulders as she offered an alternative.
"What if Noctis and I were to…"
"The healing and prayers already take enough energy out of you," Shiva cut her off, her fists on her hips, head cocked to the side with feigned disdain as she took the sight of the three humans before her. "I know the other Astrals will need a lot more convincing than I do. A man from Lucis and a man from Nifelheim accepting to pay for the saving of this world is the best argument you can give them."
Luna knew she was trying to bend the rules. But the new ones Shiva was imposing her were just unfair.
"You can't expect us to make a decision like that in…"
"I'm fine with it," Noctis insisted. "If we go back to Lucis, I risk being killed as soon as a crownsguard sees me."
"Like you would get killed that easily," Argentum chided him. "Although I don't give much of my hide if I meet my old man… Becoming a legend is nice, but I'd rather live a couple more years, find myself a nice girl or three…" he laughed before to turn his attention to Luna. "I could be convinced to become a "debtor" as miss ice-cube suggested it."
The princess blinked and Prompto's smile turned almost predatory.
"I'll need compensation," he explained. "I know what your bodyguard gets in exchange for being a devoted dog… Oh come on, don't look at me like that, I'm not into thin-self-sacrificing-royalty, you can lay off, bro."
"Fine, what is that you want?" Luna asked, doing her best to ignore what the gunman was implying.
"A room in the manor. Preferably far enough from your quarters so I get to hear silence at night," he added as an afterthought, sounding disturbingly serious. "Oh! And a decent pay! I need to entertain myself with something else than beer."
"Consider it done," Luna promised. "Is that all?"
"Well, I might have a few other demands in the future, when I realize what I've gotten myself into. But you're already feeding and clothing me, so that would be all for now…"
Shiva was clearly annoyed, but Luna was also angry at her for keeping her in the dark until they got to the Astral's "grave".
"So be it, Gentiana. We've agreed to play by your rules. What is the next step? Blood oath?"
The Glacean smiled.
"That would be cute, but both of your men can barely stand this cold. You gentlemen stay still while you pray for my blessing, Oracle. When you'll be ready for the next covenant, seek out Ramuh first. He's wise enough to help convince the others."
The prayers were uttered in that otherworldly language that Noctis understood but Prompto couldn't. It was surreal, as it stopped snowing and Shiva slowly melted, vanishing, the Oracle's hands turning blue and her hair shifting an instant. At the same time, the cold air and snow accumulated on the ground, as though gathering on themselves before rushing the men standing on either side of Luna. Prompto was knocked on his ass while Noctis staggered from the hit. It wasn't a physical hit, more like an invasion. For a minute, it was impossible to breath, as though their lungs were filled with ice, their brain muddled by fog and the storm raging inside.
To think Luna had been supposed to go through that?! Noctis couldn't hold back that thought and wondered why his memories were running wild in his mind. Was Shiva looking through them? What was that price he was paying? Flesh, blood, energy? He couldn't pinpoint the pain, couldn't locate the strongest aches between them all. He just wanted to crawl into a ball and shake until the worst of it subdued. Luna's hands touched him than. Her touch felt incredibly warm, almost like fire. His eyes cracked open, his breath returning, shaky but bringing much needed air to his lungs.
"Noctis?"
"I'll be okay," he told her, forcing his voice to remain steady.
Prompto gurgled and wheezed a few feet behind them before to struggle out the words. "Well, I'm NOT okay."
It wasn't much of a surprise to see Luna rushing to the gunman's side. Noctis fought against his instinct to sink to his knees for a bit. He was pretty certain getting back up wouldn't work and they had a mile and a half to walk before he could even worry about sleep.
"I'm sorry, Prom…"
"Sorry my…" A cough cut him off and he sighed before to resume with gentler words. "I didn't sign up for this when I joined your little army. But the blight killed my mom and most everyone I cared about. How many Astrals are there?"
"Six, including Shiva," Noctis stated.
"Well shit. We're so dead, bro. I have a new condition for this," Prompto warned her. "I'm going to need someone to patch me up. Preferably a nurse."
Luna had quickly inspected him for wounds and was left with no reason for his pain. She helped him into a sitting position, asking for more information about what they were going through. Both men were aching from head to toes, but they were merely drained as Shiva had used their lifeforce to reach over the last barrier separating her from the human world and imbue Lunafreya with her magic. As the minutes passed by, Luna giving Prompto and Noctis some time to recover, the cold died down.
"I can get you nurses, but it will be hard to explain why you need one."
Prompto looked like he had a joke all ready to justify any nursing, but Noctis pulled him to his feet a bit rougher than needed.
"You agreed to it, stick to your words and don't be difficult now."
"As you wish… Your highness."
"Don't…!"
"I get now why you didn't want to be called bro. So you tried to kill your little brother, huh?"
"Prompto!" Luna exclaimed, ready to chide him if he didn't change subject.
"You're being far too sensitive about this. I killed tons and tons of brothers. And they were all mine. Family drama runs pretty deep with us Argentum."
The confession took them both by surprise, but Prompto explained himself with a self-derisive smile.
"I know too many of your secrets to feel comfortable not giving you some of mine. If we're even, you should keep me around for longer than just collecting Astrals, right?"
Luna didn't know what to answer. While Prompto had been integrated to their team without much question, it was true that they still considered him more imperial than one of their men. And Noctis, while growing closer to the man, wasn't exactly entirely thrusting him yet.
"I'm not sure I get…" Noctis started.
"How about we talk on the ski-doo? I don't want you collapsing on me. I don't think Shiva's power would help me in carrying you away from here."
The ride back was Luna shifting the engines as both men hang on, their second ski-doo given up. They were both growing far too groggy to trust themselves as they drove. Prompto's story was really brief, but it changed a lot of Noctis's perception for the guy.
"So, like I said the other time, the Magiteck soldiers are bred by Verstael. You could say manufactured. In one of the first waves, my old man tried cloning himself. Which resulted in me and my brothers. It was experiments and training and more experiments for as far as I can remember. We were given numbers to be distinguishable from one another. When I left, I took out his main lab. And most of my brothers. None of them ever tried to protect our mother from him."
No surprise he'd sounded so broken and was always so dark. Noctis wondered why instead of fear, he only felt like understanding the gunman. Having a dictated life where you didn't fit, where you didn't quite cut it… He could relate to that. He hated himself for still being so sensitive. But it was snow, nothing but snow on the horizon, and Luna begged them to keep talking until they reached the ship. So they talked. Of brothers worth killing, broken families and of that dreadful scourge, which was the root of it all. Luna didn't participate much in the talk. She was deep in thought despite speeding off into the night, trying to muster the courage to thank them for the price they had accepted to pay in her name. She wanted to apologize a dozen more time instead, but couldn't bring either words out.
…
"I still don't understand, Noctis… If you ever wanted for anything, you know I was ready to provide. Anything, anything at all, you needed but to ask me. And instead…"
Regis was livid and Noctis was fighting against the multiple knots fear, confusion and apprehension had tied in his throat.
Gladiolus has been lying in a puddle of blood, his arm almost cut off while Ravus screamed for help when the illusion broke off. He'd been fighting a bunch of daemons, trying to protect his brother and future king from the sudden menace, despite not understanding how the things had gotten this deep into the Citadel. There was blood on his shirt and a cut gapped on his old scars, no magic applied, not even a potion. A part of him hoped he would bleed to death instead of living this waking nightmare.
The cameras showed pictures entirely different from what the prince had seen as he'd walked into the courtyard of the citadel. It didn't help that no one but Ravus and Gladiolus had been around at that time. When the crude beasts vanished, fumes and illusions, revealing the wounded king's shield and one terrified future king, Noctis had dropped his blades. Something in Ravus's eyes, something told him this was no prank. They had crossed a line. And his mind was trying to understand why Gladiolus was this hurt, until he understood that Gladiolus had been that four-armed naga he was fighting. Which was why he'd nearly slashed off his arm.
"This is not what it looks like…"
Why did those words sound so lame? It was the truth! He'd never meant…
"Are you trying to tell me we all got this wrong? You tried to kill your own brother! You nearly got through Gladiolus. I don't even know why you stopped…"
"Father, please, listen to…" Noctis tried to calm him down.
"Don't call me like that! Don't you dare pretend as if nothing has changed. Do you have any idea…?! I thought we understood each other, Noct. I thought you were happy with what you had. I thought you know how much I…"
Despite Clarus's warning and Ardyn's counsel, Regis ordered to be left alone with his first-born. He'd seen the films, seen the awful scene of Noctis punching Ravus and then taking out his blades with murder in his eyes. The state Gladio was in was enough proof in itself. The citadel was ablaze with the news. The firstborn finally lashed out. He tried reclaiming what he thought rightfully his. He'd gone mad. The tabloids would be all over it in a matter of hours.
"There were daemons, it was a…"
"I know what daemons look like! If there was any daemon out there tonight, it was you, son."
The words hit him as Regis stood up from his throne, standing so far above. They had never felt this far apart and Noctis wanted to explain this had been a trap. A machination. A misunderstanding. He would never attack Gladiolus, never do anything worse than punch Ravus's smug face once or twice. He knew better than to hurt his brother. He knew better than to weaken their country.
"I swear to you, I didn't try to hurt Ravus. This was a trap…"
"Do you know why you don't have any uncle or aunt? So the potential rulers don't fight against themselves. Your mother was so crushed at the idea you could be asked to sacrifice your life for this world, she begged me to have another child. In order for one of you two to be spared. And her wish was granted, since the crystal spared you from its blessing. And that's how you repay her?!"
It was hard to breathe now, hard to look him into the eyes, but Noctis steeled his heart.
"I'm glad she isn't here to see this," Regis admitted, eyes dark, face torn between anger and doubts.
Noctis wanted to find the words that would make him see the truth. Undo the hurt of thinking he'd betrayed him. But he could barely focus on his father's pain when his own pain was welling up inside, tearing up his heart. His voice wavered, his hands were turning into fists. He wanted to break down. Who else would help if his own father didn't listen?
"Don't say that," he pleaded. "I don't want the throne, I never did, I'll do anything to…"
"How long have you been lying to me? How long has this charade been going on? The good son, favorite of his father, striving for recognition, always, always… I thought you understood the position we were in. I thought you at least loved your brother."
"I never lied! I'm loyal to you, da…"
"Enough!" Regis ordered.
His monarch authority was out and Noctis saw red. How unfair was that? He'd played by every rule, he'd had their back all this time, he loved them and had put up with the constant humiliations and judgement from the people, because he cared too much for his family to jeopardize everything. He was a soldier. He was a knight. He was Regis's goddamn son.
"Hear me out," he asked again, controlling his voice as best as he could. "It wasn't Gladiolus I saw, it…"
"Noctis, I said enough! You don't make any sense."
"Because it doesn't make sense! Father, I saw nagas and mindflayers all over the courtyard. One of them almost had its blade on Ravus, I…! Why would I attack pillars and a stupid car unless I wasn't under some sort of spell?"
"Convenient lie. I was always soft on you," Regis stated, as though he regretted it. "Even now, I can't bring myself to do what is needed. Not when you look at me with her eyes…"
"For Etro's sake, father, you have to trust me on this."
"I wish I could. Truly, my son."
Noctis took a step up the stairs, unable to endure the distance between them any longer. He'd been brought in like a dog and he knew what awaited if Regis didn't accept his version of the events.
"Stop right there Noct. Or I will have to consider this a threat."
Another blow. This time, the prince winced.
"I'd never…"
"You tried to kill one of my sons tonight. And it sadly worked. You're dead to me now."
The words were ushered with a gasping breath and Noctis ran up the rest of the stairs without thinking. Surely if he could shake him up, Regis would understand. His life couldn't be turned upside down like that. Ravus couldn't win, he had done nothing wrong, he had been tricked into this awful, awful situation and he would wake up before it turned true, he would wake up and find solace in his father's arm. He felt like a child, reaching out desperately. But Regis's eyes were glazed over and he reacted with a magic Noctis never could muster. The prince hit an invisible wall and was pushed back. He warped to his feet, disbelief and despair fighting over his heart. The protective shield grew larger, pushing him further, until he tumbled down the stairs.
"Please, father, it's me! Don't look at me like that! Don't forsake me."
But other words came out after him as Regis called his armiger.
"Liar. Fraud. Deception. Faker. Ungrateful child."
No, no, no, look at me, dad, remember me.
Regis's eyes looked right through him, as though he was seeing something else. More illusions? But what was causing them all?
"I saved you time and again. I watched you grow into a man, and now you leave me with no choice."
It was like those nightmares were your voice was taken away from you. Noctis watched at the royal arms zipping around his father, holding back his first instinct to call out his engine blade. Would he take that away? Would he force him into a fight? Would he kill him right here? Or would he make it worse, make it last and chase him like some vagrant?
"Give me time, I'll gather proof, I'll convince you this was all orchestrated by someone else. I just need a day or two..."
"I'll give you an hour to collect your things," Regis shot back. "If you don't get out of my sight right now, I'll do something I'll regret more than exiling you. So go, now."
"You're making a mistake."
"I'm afraid I might have made it long ago."
And there was no need for words then. The swords and lances spelled it out. Maybe should he have left him to rot after that first Naga attack. Maybe had it been there and then that the resentment finally got the better of him.
Noctis couldn't speak anymore. He needed air, he needed to get away from his accusatory eyes. He backed away, holding his father's gaze, pushing the door open and warped away from Clarus who had been waiting in the hallway. Then he ran, but his father's words followed him.
You're dead to me. How long have you been lying? Was it a mistake to keep you alive? Was it a mistake to love you? To trust you? What would your mother think? How could you do this?
…
He woke up with a start, panting, face burning, fingers cold, pulling of his tangled sheets as though they were snakes and nearly kicking Luna off the bed in his panic. The feelings were so raw, the tears prickling his eyes. Something cold and wet hit his shoulder and he looked up in a daze, his breathing still ragged. The sight greeting him took away some of the nightmare. It was snowing. Like, literally snowing, while they were in Luna's room, back in her manor. He didn't remember getting there, at least, not too well, but it seemed all the dark talks and the accusation raised by Monica and Shiva had brought back memories of his last discussion with his father. Luna rolled on her side, opening one sleepy eyes.
"Noctis?"
"Tell me it's you doing this," he asked, pointing at the ceiling.
Luna blinked as she detected the overwhelming pain in him. She'd seen him hurt and shaken, but he never sounded this lost before. And with a brief look upwards, she slowly shook her head.
"You might have absorbed some of Shiva's ice when she had you pay that toll. You've been sleeping for two days straight. And from the look on your face, you just had and horrible nightmare…"
His face darkened and he turned on his back, focusing on the ceiling. On the snow falling from it. Ice in his veins. Like the shards planted by his father's disbelief and rejection.
"I don't want to talk about it," he declared.
"So it was a memory?"
"One of the worse… Luna, I…"
Her hands on him made him want to hide and shatter next to her heart. Her eyes didn't judge, they never seemed to, but he was starting to wonder if he wasn't the one being wrong. Where had those illusions come from? Why was his magic waking up? What was happening to Ravus? Was his father okay? Or was he degrading even faster now, with all the added worries and his exile? He didn't want to cause his father pain. Never. But could he have missed something out there? Not realized that someone around the court was pulling more strings then they should? Had he gone crazy for an instant back in Insomnia? And if he did, when would it happen around Luna?
"It's okay. You don't have to tell me of it. But you can if you need to."
She kissed his chin, his cheek and something was left loose deep inside him. His lips found hers in a desperate kiss, his hands gripping to her, one cupping her head, the other running down her side as he gathered her closer. The crushing turned to soft, lingering motions, his mouth pleading, demanding and giving all in turns. Luna whimpered, because this was the first time she'd seen him awake since they'd gotten back to the manor, where the three of them had collapsed, first both men, then the Oracle. She'd been worried about him, worried that he felt used under all the chivalrous attitude he put up for her. The snow kept falling as they kissed, softly, sweetly, until his breath gave out to a sob and he finally hid in her arms.
"I want to help," Luna whispered, stroking his hair.
He couldn't hold anything back then, and he realized that he didn't want to. If he was ready to put his life on the line for her, what were a few confidences?
"He won't believe me." He's my dad and I miss him, and I want to make sure he's fine, but he won't believe me."
His voice shook in place and Luna wondered if he had permit himself to live through this pain before. To acknowledge it, as he ran from his home, from his friends and moreover, from his family.
"Oh Noct. Maybe I can help. I'll do everything I can…"
"I won't turn into a burden. You already…"
"Don't speak nonsense. With everything you've gone through for me, isn't this the least I can do?"
"When I think back on the last time I saw him, I wonder if he's still even… truly my father. He looked like him, but at the same time…"
"Don't think like that. We'll get an audience with the king. If we need to find your brother, I'll get the truth out of him."
He wanted to tell her how much he needed her away from Ravus. From everything wrong in his life. Instead, he sniffled and tried to recover from the tears.
"I can't believe you've talked me into going back there."
"I'm sorry. I know I've been asking for way too much lately…"
"Is this about Shiva?"
She tried to nod but he stole a kiss from her and Luna couldn't help the smile that grew on her face, until she felt the need to answer his embrace with a gentle fire. It was getting so natural to be in his arms. To rely on each other. They had opened up slowly, but it never seemed to be about the important things. Noctis talking about his father almost shocked her. Maybe just as much as he'd been shocked the first time she'd cried in front of him. But they were both human. Both in need of as much support as they could get.
"You should ask me more. I don't feel fulfilled yet," he told her.
"I know that smile. But you should eat…"
His next words made her blush despite everything they'd done together. Somehow, the rushed up sex was shifting into something tender. Her heart shook every time his eyes covered her with desire and that sparkle that was starting to look like love. She didn't want to think that word. She didn't want to lose him and was already so close to losing herself when it came to Noctis. But they might just find each other, beneath the warrior princess and the runaway prince. They were slowly learning where to look.
And they were both ready to look.
To be continued…
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Since this chapter was extra long, no smut, sadly, but there should be enough of it in next chapter. Do you care for another couple than Noct/Luna? I'm sort of tempted to give Ignis and Aranea a bit of fun times. Noct and Luna are still the main focus of this story XD
Also, I wanted to move along the story and we've crossed an important stage. Things are well settled for the future of this story. I'll try to bring out next chapter before the end of the year, but I really don't know if I'll manage it. As always, reviews motivate me. :D