Author's notes: And the Fourth Chapter is finally here at last! Hurray! I'm so sorry for being so long! My test finally over but now I'm facing another huge problem. Yep, I began to get a bad luck named as Writer Block and it irritated me no over! I still can write this chapter and completed it but now me not having any inspiration or idea. So if you have a suggestion or even an idea, don't hesitate to tell me or review me, okay. Btw, thank you very much for your reviews. Feel free to review this story since I very very need your comments about this story even just one word. And for the reply time:
For kitsune630; Thank you very much for your reviews. Now here is the new chapter. I hope you enjoy it :D
For Liquid Twilight; Truthfully, I didn't notice it at first. It was later when I type Ellen's name, I then knew that her name had a same meaning with Noct as if they're fated to be together. I didn't think that far! XD LOL! Thanks to their names I even get an idea for this chapter sub theme. Besides, I couldn't help but to imagine that how hilarious and cute their relationship will be since both them seemed to have shy characteristic in some situations. I keep update as much as I can, okay? :3
For Anon; I'm also felt a bit guilty when I wrote that part. T_T; Here's the new chapter. Hope you like it.
And for Hakumei-chan; Thank you for your vote! XD I very appreciate it. Well, Fourteenth is pretty sneaky isn't it? Here there is the new chapter. Enjoy. ;D
And thank you very much for those who had fave and alert this story. I'm glad to see it. :D Finally at last, please enjoy this chapter. Feel free to review it and flame it or even to critic it. Last words, happy reading for everyone. X3
Disclaimer: Except the plot, I'm definitely own nothing in here.
Warning: Gender bender, spoilers ( right before Phantom G Thief Arc), few swearings, and bad grammars, English isn't my first language, you know. TT_TT (I wish it is.)
The God's Clown and the Prince of the Sky
Story03: DUO LUMINUM
Noctis head felt so light.
He was so sleepy and tired and wanted no more but to keep his eyelids closed for a longer.
He just wanted to sleep for a little longer.
Please just let him rest for now and he promised to himself and in the name of Etro that he would woke up once he was finished recovering.
So he continued to close his eyes. He drove back to the darkness of slumber.
Just a little longer, he promised.
And he would woke up later.
(Enter song)
(Puella Magi Madoka Magica Original Soundtrack)
(Sis Puella Magica)
(Play)
samia dostia
ari aditida
tori adito madora
Ellen ran as fast she could manage with Link trailed quite far behind her. To be honest the young woman didn't really expected him to follow her to the Ark. Unfortunately, she was in hurry right now, and therefore the young Exorcist more focused her attention at reach the Ark. Besides Ellen didn't mind him as a company at all. Right now her main priority was to found the source of the peculiar aura.
Her thought then went back to the moment when she felt that aura. She couldn't believe it. Someone was inside the Ark and it was either one of the Noah Clan or the researchers. Her worry was proven to be correct since the nearer she was with the Ark the stronger the aura was.
estia morita
nari amitia
sori arito asora
With a determined face, once one of the Ark's Gate was in the view, Ellen quickly activated her Innocence, gave a quick excuse to the both guards that kept the Gate, and entered it before her figure completely disappeared to the inside. Once she was in one from the roads of the white city inside the Ark, the young Exorcist then searched to where the aura was coming from. Imagine how incredulous she was when the aura happened to came from the room that anyone supposed couldn't enter except if they're with Ellen. Waste no time, Ellen hummed the lullaby and made another gate to enter the Musician Room.
Once the gate formed completely in front of her, Ellen quickly stepped in into the gate and found herself in a big and white room with the white piano she grew to familiar with. Her feet came to a stop once she saw something that she might be looking for. Not to mention it was pretty confusing if you remembered how tight the guard on the Gate and people from the outside of the Black Order couldn't enter this island, not without Komlin scanned the person first and through the barriers they had put. But here, the procedure didn't apply as it supposed to be for once and in fact it defied the procedure in a way.
semari aisi isola matola
soribia doche irora amita
samaria dose ifia mio lora fia sia adora
Few feet not far from the piano, lay on the side and out of cold above the floor, was a young man with peculiar dark clothes and odd style of hair which all familiar to her. Ellen's frown increased so fast along with her worry, so the beautiful young Exorcist let her feet brought her closer to the young man. The moment she was enough close to him and taking a look to the unconscious young man, she almost forgot how to breathe and her silver eyes went wide in shock. Without she knew it, her body started to tremble in disbelieve and she found herself unable to move from her current place.
It couldn't be. Ellen mused inside her mind while she was placing one of her hand on her mouth. How could this happen? His face…she recognized this young man. But it was impossible. Ellen knew the young man before her as the very same man that appeared in her dream. She did think that her eyes were playing tricks on her. Ellen even almost thought that she must be seen a hallucination. But once the black clad young man twitched and groaned in his sleep, Ellen realized at that very second that she wasn't dreaming it. The young man before her was very much alive and not an illusion.
samia dostia
ari aditida
tori adito madora
The silver eyed girl kneeled beside him and put her hand at his neck, felt the pulse was weak but it was beating normally. Ellen also noticed that his body temperature was lower than a normal human temperature supposed to. Her mind processed this quickly and concluded the young man perhaps in weak condition and lay in this room at least few hours. It made Ellen more anxious because at any rate he would get sick. She needed to bring him to a warmer place and checked his condition so she thought the infirmary would be a good place. It was then the blond haired Inspector came in from the gate she created and took a stop once he beside her. His face went frowned at the sight of unknown young man laid on the floor. Link then glanced at the kneeled Exorcist with those narrowed eyes with suspicious.
"Walker, who is he and what he's doing in here?" his tone was sharp and demanded.
Ellen shook her head and stared back at him. "I don't know. He's already like this when I came here."
Link raised an eyebrow and went back at the unconscious young man with a calculation look. "Then how..."
"Link, can we pondered about this later and help me bring him to the infirmary?" Ellen asked the blonde urgently. "I think his condition is not good and his body's temperature is low. We need to take him to the Head Nurse."
"Walker, he's practically an intruder. He could be a spy from Earl and therefore he must..."
Ellen was cut him first with hard voice. "I don't care about that! He's need a doctor and we will take him to the infirmary, now!"
estia morita
nari amitia
sori arito asora
They stared at each other; none from them opened their mouth. The braided young man was staring with a sharp look while the young woman with her determined and begging eyes. The two of them made eye contact for quite long time until the uneasiness silence broke by Link's heavy sigh as he put his right hand on his temple. He realized that there was no way this girl before him would listen to him as long as it concerned the black clad young man's healthy in this case. She was a stubborn girl after all, she cared about the others especially her friends, she would help them as much as she could, and protect them at any cost. Heck, Ellen Walker even more than willing to help this unknown man who still lay on the floor. Probably the young woman Exorcist wouldn't listen to him, not until she managed to help the unconscious man. In the end, Link had no choice but to follow her. He just hoped he made a right decision.
"Fine." He half muttered, his hard tone softened a bit but still held that warning. "But if he proved to be a spy, I will not hesitant to beat and question him, understand?"
Ellen finally let her tense body went relaxed. At least the black haired young man should be fine and safe from the Crow for now. "Thank you."
semari aisi isola matola
soribia doche irora amita
samaria dose ifia mio lora fia sia adora
The blonde kneeled next to her to take and pulled the black clad young man's upper arm. He slung the other young man's arm over his shoulder and held it firmly with his hand while he gripped the odd clothed young man's waist with the other hand, he did it quite fast. When it was done, Link slowly stood up and held the young man steadily. Ellen raised herself as well.
"Let's go." He said rather quietly.
For the last moment, she stole a glance at the young man's sleeping face once more. He looked so calm and peaceful in his sleep and actually it made him quite innocent, the young man didn't look like an incarnation of a black angel she once thought in the dream. The snow haired girl then went off with the Inspector and the unconscious young man. In the middle of her way, Ellen pondered at the rather odd event she just got into. Why the young man she thought only was suddenly appeared in front of her? How did he enter the Ark without used a Gate and came from thin air? Who was he actually? And what most important what this had something to do with her? Her mind replayed the moment when the mysterious young man was asking her with that concern look. Ellen now found herself pondered the same question which she addressed to him.
'Who are you?'
semari aisi isola matola
soribia doche irora amita
samaria dose ifia mio lora fia sia adora
adora
(End of song)
Noctis didn't know for how long he was asleep.
In his sleep between the blackness, he heard some voices faintly as if those voices were coming from afar. It was mumbled mostly but he still catches few words that he didn't quite understand. They were voices of women and it seems they talked about him but he didn't quite sure since they also mentioned someone other than him as they called this people as 'Exorcist'. It puzzled him to be honest. He wanted to hear more from them but the chat happened for a moment as the voices went faint as the sounds of footsteps walk away and grew fainter before they gone. A long silence fell once the footsteps were not heard anymore. His curiosity increased as well as hi puzzlement. Now he thought about it, he could felt the softness of bed and pillow beneath him. He also felt the light weight and warmness from the blanket over his body and from what he could sense his feet didn't wear shoes. Noctis pondered at this. Where was he actually?
After long session of thinking carefully, he decided that he should woke up and found out where he was. Noctis tried to open his eyelids but his tiredness got him more and it made his eyelids felt so heavy to be opened. The black haired young man then struggled to try to open his eyes however it just one or two twitches to his eyelids. It was not an easy job to do since his condition still weak although it was getting better than before. And he still tired a bit but for now he should put that aside and he must open his eyes first. Noctis managed to do it after few seconds of try.
His eyes opened slowly and the first thing he saw was a white and plain roof. He blinked in confusion before he smelled something he recognized a lot as the smell of alcohol and medicine. His lips pulled into a dark frown and narrowed his eyes in obvious dislike. So he was in the hospital or an infirmary or something connected with doctor, their white boring wall and roof, and mostly the smells of the medicines. Resist the groan that threatened to out from his lips he slowly sat up from his bed and looked around. There were numbers of bed similar to his and few people who lay with bandages on their body parts. Every one of them was bandaged on the arm, leg or in abdomen. It was then he realized that he was in the bed and not wore either his shoes or his motorcycle glove but it didn't matter to him for now. The building itself was had an odd architecture, it was the usual white boring hall, but he noticed that few of the machines near the other patients and its technology somehow seemed...old if compared to his kingdom and the others kingdom technology.
At this point he was speechless none less; the prince didn't know what he should say. If his memory was serving him right, he supposed to be in the Holy Chamber and not in some hospital or whatever that had assimilation with it. Yet he was in here. Was someone brought him to here, Prompto perhaps? No, that was not possible, Prompto was in there too and surely he would do his best to protect his friends, included him. The blonde would wait for him together with Ignis and Gladiolus; perhaps even Cor and his father would come too. However he didn't saw their glimpse, not even his father, King Regis.
Noctis mind then replayed the very moment when he tried to fight the long haired blonde. The euclase eyed young man remembered very well that he was been hit by the crystal's powerful light and finally fell to the blackness, he did felt that the it had done something to him. It disturbed his power's balance very much and as the result it made him lose his conscious perhaps for a good hour. And it was what worried him most.
Was his power still intact to him? His euclase eyes narrowed thoughtfully. Only one way to find out. The prince of Lucis stole glances at his surrounding; made sure that no one was near him. When the situation was clear, he shifted his body to sit at the bed side. Noctis lifted his right hand and focused his concentration at his power. A surge of power went through his veins and his arm. He didn't want to risk his weapon to be visible and seen by people, so Noctis let it in its invisible form. His power focused at his grip and later he could felt that something began to materialize within his grasp. When the summoned completed, he opened his eyes and he saw his main weapon in his grip, invisible yet gleamed under the light of the lamp. In his mind, the prince let out a relieved sigh. Well, at least he still had his power.
Dismissed the falchion, he searched for his army boots and spotted it put on the floor near him. Turned his head a bit, he could see a small wooden table with his glove above it. The black prince carefully stood up and made a move to take the shoes. But before he could do anything else, a high voice, without a doubt owned by a nurse, shouted at him with surprised. Noctis turned his head on time to see a nurse with a board and wore an outfit that looked outdate walked hurriedly to his way.
"Oh Dear! I can't believe this!" she shook her head. "You shouldn't leave the bed yet! Your body isn't fully recover!" she pushed the young man back to the bed earned a surprised yelp from Noctis. "I see you've waked up earlier than we are expected. And you're even went as far as went from the bed. You're a stubborn young man, you know." She rambled nonstop to him. "How about your condition?"
"I'm very much fine, thank you." Noctis replied in cool tone, obviously not quite happy for being pushed back to bed. However he respected the nurse's good intention for him. He asked the nurse the question which hanged in his head since he woke up. "How long I was asleep and where am I?"
"Around three hours. You're lucky you brought here in time. Your body is suffered from exhaustion and therefore you need some rest. Your body's temperature also lower than normal human's temperature, you can get a bad cold if you're not careful. As for your other question, you're in the Black Order's Infirmary."
Noctis was taken aback by the nurse's answer. He had expected he slept long enough but seriously, for freakin' three hours!? Even in the outside palace he never slept that long! It seems the Great Crystal had his power threw off balance and damn, Noctis really needed to practice more his ability or he would end up in worse state. Perhaps Ignis was right after all; his power wasn't THAT strong even though it was powerful enough to face some enemies.
And the Black Order? What kind of place is that? Noctis never heard anything about this Order in the Kingdom of Lucis. He had a mind to want to ask more and get answers from the nurse but he then went against it for some reason. So Noctis shut his mouth and decided to keep the disturbing question to him self for now.
"I…see…" Noctis commented with uncertainty. Something was wrong in here... And Noctis didn't like the feeling.
"Alright." The nurse began to write oh her clip board. "Let's get this done so I can bring you some food, okay? Do you have any illness or allergic or something like that?"
"No."
She hummed as she wrote something above the board. "Can I check your body temperature?"
He nodded his chocobo's styled head once. "Sure."
She then took a thermometer and checked his temperature. The nurse then asked him a lot of matters about his health. He had no choice but to answer it, like or not. After went through some checks which felt like forever to the main heir of Lucis, the nurse then told him to stay on the bed while she would inform the Head Nurse and brought him some foods. She then left him some time later and for once more Noctis found him self above the bed although he just sat in there. He was left in with wide eyes and pulled down lips.
Noctis was finally letting out a shaky huff and laid him self on the bed. Closed his eyes briefly, he began to wondered where was he now? Sat from the bed, he ran his hand to his head and ruffled his chocobo's hair before he put it on his forehead. He never felt this confuse before. Even he didn't quite admit it, deep in his heart, he had a feeling that he wasn't in Lucis anymore and it was what he worried most. His instinct perhaps didn't entirely correct but it never been wrong. Moreover if there was a place within Lucis with strange name like that he surely would know it. However he didn't recognize it, let alone knew the name. The main heir of Lucis frowned. Was this means he was...lost?
Too caught on his thoughts, he couldn't sense that another people approached him until it was too late for him.
"Hello. Are you alright in there?" A soft and polite voice greeted him and made him jumped as a result. Tensioned and startled in instant, Noctis put a distance between the owner of the voice and him self to stand up in defense. He was ready to summon his weapon when he saw the person who greeted him earlier was.
Stood before him was a girl, no, a young woman around her sixteen. The young woman wore black clothes like uniform and tilted her head a bit. She had white hair reached below her chin. And her eyes stared at him with puzzlement. At first he didn't know who she was and what she was doing, but his mind was kept screaming at him that he had met the young woman and that he knew her. Of course Noctis had no idea why his mind screamed to him like that, until he saw those hauntingly familiar silver eyes and the strange shaped scar on her left eye. His mind clicked together as the pieces finally came together. Euclase eyes widened in realization and surprised. He knew who the girl was.
The girl…
The beautiful young woman with those silver eyes and scar…
She was the very same young woman who appeared in his dream.
And she stood in front of him for real.
Noctis wondered if this was the perfect time to bang his head to the wall.
Ellen walked to the Infirmary to visit the unconscious young man she found with Link in the Ark. She just finished her bath and dressed back with her another similar uniform before she decided to see him. Both Ellen and the blonde Inspector had brought him to the Infirmary and coincidentally, they met the Head Nurse in there. The black haired young man then immediately treated and was being check by the old lady and few others. After few minutes of waiting in worry, the Head of Nurse came with a conclusion and had said to her that the young man was fine. He was just exhausted so he had to sleep for few hours, but other than that he has no injuries, both external and internal. The young man would recover soon. She sighed in relieved when she heard it. But of course this didn't mean there was no problem.
(Flashback)
When she and Link brought him to the inside, this had caused such a controversial commotion. Mostly they came from the Crow since the young man wasn't from any part of the Black Order. They even didn't sense him entered this place, which was impossible since the new HQ placed in the island and it had barriers so no intruders could enter it but this time they didn't calculate this event obviously. They almost about to took him and interrogate him but Ellen stepped in and protected him so they didn't dare do anything. Well, not really, since they were ready to chant their magic.
To her surprise (and her grateful), Link helped her and talked to them that they would explain this to Chief Officer and Inspector Levellier ( Is my spelling is right?) after they took him to the infirmary first. They weren't really satisfied however they decided to accepted and move away from both of them. It was later, after they off from infirmary, Ellen was being summoned by Komui with her friends already in there with concern and asked to give them some explanation, while Link was summoned and already went to Leverrier office and left her with Komui.
Ellen then told them from the moment she felt the Ark called for her until Link and she brought the unconscious young man into the infirmary. The silver haired young man left the weird dream part, she was too embarrassed to tell them and she kind of doubt they would believe her. She knew that part actually was important too, but she rather not told them about it perhaps later. At the moment, Ellen felt she was like a silly little girl who dreamed her prince with a white horse. The beautiful young woman had a feeling that Lenalee would tease her, probably with Lavi or being mocked by BaKanda. Poor Ellen, if only she knew... Of course we would let her didn't know for a while okay?
Back to the story, when Ellen had finished her story, the gray eyed young woman received various reactions from them. Lavi showed an interest toward the mysterious young man and Kanda narrowed his eyes but didn't say anything none less and still with that sour face. Lenalee looked a bit worried but in the same time she also curious about him. At last but not the least, Komui had this frowned look on his face.
"Ellen," He began in slightskeptic. "Are you sure he was suddenly in Ark without used the Gate or something like that?"
"No. I tried to figure out and from where he got here through the Ark's access but..." There was the problem. Ellen had tried to access the Ark search the information from it about how the young man could entered it, because if he really went in through the Gate, Ark supposed to has the information about which gate he was used. Her attempt was failed however since The Ark couldn't give her many information as she wanted. In other words, there was no information about how he could get in there in place without used Gate. Which was impossible since you couldn't enter Ark without Gate, and yet this young man did it in a way. It only made him even mysterious to her.
Komui sighed deeply. "I guess we should ask him when he was awake…" He concluded. "Speaking about the guy how is his condition?"
"He was having extremely fatigue for some reason and he must rest for quite long before he is recovered." Ellen mind went back at young man's the sleeping face.
"I see…" the white clothed man nodded thoughtfully.
Lavi hummed. "I wonder why he was in such a static like that. Could be he did something that cost his health? Do the Head Nurse telling you?"
Ellen shook her head, her face saddened. "No, she didn't know, so am I. Honestly, I'm more concerned about his condition rather than what caused him in such condition."
Ellen felt a hand clamped on her shoulder to see Lenalee's purple eyes. The green haired young woman gave her a soothing smile.
"Ellen, I'm sure he will be alright since you brought him just in time. Besides, there are the Head nurse and the other nurses who taking care of him right? So don't worry..."
Ellen eyed her friends hesitantly before she nodded. "I know."
" Okay. And before I forget, is there something more we need to know, Ellen?" Lenalee tilted her head.
Ellen pondered for a while. "Not really, but I'm thinking about it, he wore such wrong clothes and had a unique aura around him."
Lavi's curiosity began to increase. "Wrong clothes and a unique aura you say? That's new. Like what?"
"He wore short sleeved shirt while it's winter right now. The style is also quite odd. And his aura… I can't really describe it but it's different from normal humans…"
"Wait, you can feel his aura?" Lenalee asked abruptly. "Since when?"
"I think it's because of my cursed eye. It reacted when he suddenly appeared inside the Ark and possibly I was able to sense his aura due to my left eye." Ellen concluded.
Lenalee confused. "I thought your left eye will react when there is an Akuma…"
"It is, but this time it also responded to his rather peculiar aura. I don't know why though." Ellen replied unsurely and pondered.
"Che. Are you not mistaking it, Moyashi? He could be a part from the Noah." Kanda cut her and opened his mouth for the first time since he came to this room. His statement made the whole attendants in the room flinched slightly at the mention of 'Noah'. It was understandable for them to worry about this. One of the Noah was disguised as a human and managed to strike the Black Order when they suffered some damaged.
Ellen threw a glare at the samurai. "The name is Ellen and no, I'm having a confidence that he has nothing to do with them, Girly samurai."
Kanda right eye was twitched violently. "What did you say?"
"I say…"
"Err…, before you're start to fighting each other, how can you certain that he isn't a Noahlet out an Accommodator?" Komui decided to step in before the two of them started fighting in his office and he didn't want it at all.
The two Exorcists didn't respond him immediately for they stood and glared intensively at each other. The room was tensioned for quite moment which finally broke when Kanda tsked harshly and look to other directions but Ellen. Ellen meanwhile was huffed and back to normal state.
"I'm doubt it. His aura was so outstanding somehow and this is the strangest part from him. His aura was dark yet it didn't feel violent; it gave a calm, almost gentle feeling in fact. He didn't feel like a Noah even he has a dark like aura. He is… I can't really describe it but he was like a darkness that won't disturb human. I even doubt if he's an Accommodator. His aura is way too different."
"...How can that possible?" Komui felt incredulous.
Lenalee and Lavi had their eyes widened in shock but Lenalee also had this small gasp while Kanda looked at her with that unreadable eyes.
Unfortunately, Ellen didn't had the answer so she couldn't answer his question. She wished that she knew too and she was a bit saddened by this fact.
(End of Flashback.)
After the uneasiness silence, Komui finally decided to end both the report and the discussion. He then let them go from the office and told them to wait and relax until further notice. The Exorcists agreed to came to the cafeteria and eat something. In the cafeteria, they had their usual meals and talked other things or rather usual things in their daily life as Exorcist. Ellen was thankful they did that because she didn't know how to react if they mention about the still unconscious young man.
When they finished their meals, Kanda took off to somewhere as Lavi told Ellen and Lenalee that he went back to tell the Bookman about Ellen's encounter with their mysterious young man, in sing sang tone. Ellen could felt her cheeks flushed at this. She wished Lavi could just been quit with that playful tone. The sun had set completely and she realized that she not took a bath yet and with ashamed feeling, she excuse to Lenalee to go earlier. Gladly the green haired Exorcist only smiled friendly at her and allowed the white haired Exorcist to go first. Ellen waste no time to went back to her room and as she arrived in there, Link still not came yet. At that very moment, she then had a thought to visit the young man so she made a note to Link which told to meet her in the Infirmary once he was done. The silver eyed young woman then took a bath and wore the spare uniform as fast as she could.
Half an hour later, the young Exorcist was already in her way to the Infirmary. Ellen also brought her golden golem which happened to be waked up from slept in her room. Timcanpy was flying above her head happily and followed its master. She walked hurriedly so she could be in there faster. Her lips curved into a happy smile when she spotted the Infirmary in front of her. She was just entered the infirmary and greeted one of the nurses before suddenly stopped in her track. A frown was on her face. At first she puzzled and thought if it was just her feeling to feel it. But apparently she hadn't been wrong.
She then felt it once more. Silver eyes blinked rapidly. It was the aura she began to grow familiar with in recently. It was the aura which belonged to the young man from the Ark. It went stronger for a moment and was doing something. Slightly anxious and went alarmed, the petite Exorcist moved hurriedly and stepped further to the inside. Ellen kept walking passed the nurse and the patients through the hall until she found the young man who had made her and not exception her friends in puzzled. Unexpected to her, he regain his conscious faster than the Head Nurse had presumed and not laid on the bed, instead he was sitting on the edge of the bed. He had one of his hands touched his forehead and had this expression of distress on his face.
Although it was puzzled her what caused him to looked stressed as she saw that face, Ellen couldn't help but slowly felt sympathy toward the young man. He seemed so…lonely. It reminded her of herself when Mana died years ago.
Braced herself, she walked toward the young who seemed to not notice her presence. After she was close enough, Ellen then greeted him carefully as she tried to not scare him.
"Hello. Are you alright in there?"
The young man jumped and unexpectedly, threw himself away from the silver eyed young woman as he stood up abruptly. He was in defense stance and that's when he stopped entirely as his eyes catch her form.
Ellen then found herself was staring a pair a sky blue eyes and she was stunned for a moment.
…
…
They stood face at each other. None of them moved or speak yet; they too occupied to move and talk as a pair of puzzled and curious bluish silver stared deeply at a pair of confused and uncomfortable euclase.
To each of them, stood in front of her or his was a familiar stranger with a peculiar way of clothing he or she never saw before. Both of them wore same dark and black colored clothes but with one look, actually you could tell how much different they were by the air they gave. The girl had a strong willed, white, and pure aura around her while the boy gave the air of nobility, somehow dark yet calm and kind aura.
For the first time since their meet in the dream, Ellen Walker and Noctis Lucis Caelum finally had their chance to come face to face in the reality. Silver eyes blinked confusedly at the young man's figure while the owner of the euclase eyes did the same thing although in his case, he was pretty uncomfortable since the young woman before Him was looked at him intensively. At most circumstances, his expression would betrayed his true emotions since his face had that cool mask he usually wore whenever he was in prince mode except in front of his father and his friends, and perhaps few other people. But it didn't work out this time. He found himself unable to do it, not with those silver eyes he once saw in his dream were staring right into his eyes as if she could saw the true form of him.
Ellen couldn't take of her eyes from the young man's sky blue eyes. As she eyed the young man, Ellen just had noticed few things from him had changed. Firstly, it war his eyes. It colored like a clear sky, lot like a red gemstone as she remembered. Unlike the spinel colored eyes she had saw before in her dream, his sky blue eyes were gentler and softer but still held that very same charm which attracted her. In fact the bright colored of sky was suited him more than the red one. Secondly, the clothes the young man was wearing now more casual than the one she saw in the dream although it still had an odd style. He looked like a normal guy and younger compared to the previous way of clothes that made him appeared older, strict, and firm. He still had that graceful and attractiveness but now he looked more approachable and didn't seem intimidated like before. At lastly, she also noticed that his haircut shorter than before showed more of his face's structure. He even more handsome with the new haircut.
Her cheeks reddened immediately and she felt embarrassed for thinking like that. If only Ellen knew that t wasn't really her fault when the young man before her indeed had an unearthly handsomeness which would attract many women and as far as after him. Not to mention he was a prince and solely heir of the kingdom.
As for Noctis, he stared the young woman before him with mixed feelings. The black clad young man clearly confused because the lady he met once in the dream in fact was a real person. He only thought that a situation like this only would happen in the fictional stories. Of course he didn't believe it, there was no such thing as fairy tale like that. The prince never expected it would happen to himself as if fate was playing pranks to him. He didn't sure if he wants to ask the young woman before him to pinch his arm, let alone bang his head hardly. Speaking about the young woman, he took a note that her uniform was different from the one she wore in his dream. It consisted with black jacket with red lined and strange cross badge on her left chess, a pair of white gloves, a same black colored skirt with red line, long and black shocks, and short boots.
Noctis couldn't help but raised his eyebrow at the uniform she wore. It looked terribly similar like a military uniform but what kind of army that employed teenagers, moreover a young woman like her?
Then before they ever knew it, a golden blur was shot to the boy and nearly hit him. Fortunately the boy managed to avoid that thing by stepped aside to the left, even though he was extremely bemused at the moment by the sudden appearance of the thing.
As if she was awake from her daze, the girl's beautiful silver eyes widened in shock and immediately grabbed its tail to pull it to her side. And in the same time the white haired girl scolded the thing, which the boy took a notice that it looked like a golden ball with a pair of wings, a pair of small horns, and four legs looked like. It was no bigger than a tennis ball. His eyebrows knitted at this small detail. For twenty first years of his life, he never saw a creature like this. Yes, he had seen some monsters in his place as he grew up and sometimes fought them but there were nothing like this. Noctis attention was back when the girl scolded at the golden ball like creature.
"Timcanpy, don't do that! Bad Tim! Bad!" The girl held the small creature in her hug before she let it go. Her worried gray eyes went to the boy. "Are you alright?"
Snapped from his frown, the boy-the young man shook his head hastily in dismissed manner.
"It's okay. I'm not hurt, in fact everyone is alright."
The girl let out a relieved sigh. "Then good." She said quietly. Realized something, she then asked him the question she wanted to ask from the beginning.
"Who are? And what are you doing in here?"
"Uh…" The young man looked hesitated. "I think…I'm lost." He answered in slight shame. He bit the curse for himself for not giving a better answer since his answer seemed lame enough. The way the petite young woman looked at him didn't help either. It only made his shame and uncomfortable even worsen.
Then much to his surprise later, the girl blinked few times and asked him further. "How can you're lost?"
Noctis shrugged his shoulder and shook his head lightly. "I don't know. One moment I was in the middle of the fight. I was tried to stop it and the next time I knew, I already in here." He replied unsurely. It was true that he was in the battle and in the end he ended up in this place but not in a… logical way. Noctis could felt his head throbbed painfully. He doubt the girl before him would believe his story. Heck, perhaps the girl would accuse him for being crazy. And he didn't want to reveal all of it, included the fact that he was a prince, so he better play safe. For now.
The girl narrowed her eyes thoughtfully at this and although the Caelum's prince had guessed that the girl before him didn't trust his explanation entirely, he still found those eyes made him uncomfortable a bit.
"Still, I wonder how you can enter this place. Do you remember anything else, Mr…?"
The young man smiled politely and made a motion to shake hands. "Noctis. I'm Noctis. And you, Miss?"
The girl lips pulled into a soft smile and he thought it suited her very well. She then took his hand and shook it in friendly manner.
"My name is Ellen Walker and this is Timcanpy. Nice too meet you, Mr. Noctis."
Noctis's smiled became a little strained at the mention of the 'mister' word.
"Miss Walker, you can just call me Noctis, there's no need to be respect." Noctis corrected and pulled back his hand.
Ellen smile widened. "If only you call me Ellen."
"Gladly." He sighed quietly in relieved. At least he didn't need to be addressed with such formality which he hated.
"That's good." The young woman looked satisfied. "Now about the question, how can you enter this place? This is not a place where a commoner like you can enter."
The black clad young man face went blank at the revelation. His wariness and worries reappeared once more as this revelation sank in into his mind. His mind processed quickly this new information. Has he in the place where most of the people couldn't enter as they wanted? Or even worse, a sacred place likes the Holy Chamber?
"What do you mean by that? Am I in the sacred place or something like that?" He went anxious at the word of sacred. Noctis couldn't help but flinched. "Am I in deep trouble?" He added hurriedly.
"In a way, yes."
Before Ellen could answer his question, a deep, old, and wise voice had interfered them and caused both of them turned their heads to the owner of the voice which happened to be Bookman. Behind him were Lenalee, Lavi, Kanda, and surprisingly Link. They looked at him with various looks. Lenalee was blushed as she found the young man before her was handsome, Lavi observed him with some interest and calculation, Link kept an eye on his movement, while Kanda stared sharply at him. "Lenalee? Lavi? BaKanda?" Ellen looked surprised. "What are you doing in here?"
"Check out our mysterious guy of course!" Lavi replied cheerfully.
The old man then glance at the euclase eyed young man who stared at the group with bemused look, probably wondered why there were so many people came to see him. Bookman could see that the young man was pretty much uncomfortable now.
"No, this is not as you're thinking. You're not in deep trouble, young man. At least it's depending on how you're getting in here at first."
Ellen stared at him in concern as in the same time he was didn't expected that kind of statement.
"Uh..." Noctis was taken aback by his calm demeanor. He was aware that he couldn't just reveal himself in front of unknown people like them. Moreover he couldn't reveal himself as a prince to them. He worried that they were enemies of his kingdom. Besides he didn't know where he was right now. But the look from the old man told him otherwise. His black eyes reminded him of Ignis a bit. His instinct told him that the old man knew more than him so he had to try it. Better safe than sorry. He tried calmed himself and answer the old man.
"I'm… not sure about this. It's difficult to be explaining." Noctis replied politely. "And to be honest, I don't think you will believe me, Sir..."
"Bookman." The old man introduced him self. "And you are?"
The black clad young man thought for a while before he faced back Book man.
"I'm Noctis Caelo. Just Noctis is fine, Sir Bookman."
So how do you think? Like it? Hate it? Since I'm in the middle of test and probably will be long before update again, I decide to have this chapter longer. But honestly, I never had any idea that it will be THIS long. First expectation was 4,000 words…and now it's more than 7,000 words!? 7,000! WOW! 3,000 words more than it should be, can't you believe it? At this chapter, I almost forgot about the Timcanpy and I decided to bring him up to this story. I'm sorry, Tim. TT_TT Also about the pairing, I have quite response, I'm very happy for it, and so far the vote is;
a. EllenxNoctis = 4
And
b. EllenxTyki = 3
So I've decided that EllenxNoctis will be the main pairing in here. Hurray! Thank you very much for your response. XD Please review and comment in here~! XD