This is a double update, so make sure you read the chapter before this. (it won't take too long to read lol)
so luna is 24 was originally gonna just gonna be one chapter but then i started writing and writing and once it got past 21k i realized i will literally make myself cry if i have a 20 word chapter and then immediately afterwards the next chapter is like 30k
When Luna is twenty-four years old, Lucis has been defeated at Galahd. The news reaches Luna first, surprisingly (and she can't seem to puzzle out why the empire would retreat at the last minute), but it is Noct who first hears of the treaty negotiations.
"You have to be kidding me," He tells Ignis incredulously. "We're giving all of Lucis up to the empire?"
"Not Insomnia," Ignis corrects. "But yes, all other outlying lands will be given to Niflheim in exchange for maintaining the peace in the capital."
"And my dad actually agreed to the terms?"
Ignis sighs and pushes up his glasses. "We have no choice," He explains. "The Kingsglaive has been defeated. We are hopelessly outmatched."
Noct frowns, but he understands why his father chose to agree to the signing. After the failure of the Glaive, pretty much all other options have been cut off. Insomnia has also been closed from the rest of the land for three decades due to the Wall, advancing and growing and leaving the rest of the kingdom in the dust. There's a sort of inflated sort of superiority in the capital, to the point where some have started to consider other Lucians as immigrants. It's a calculated risk in agreeing to the signing— but chances are, loyalty to the king in Insomnia outmatches attachments to lands outside the capital, so the inevitable backlash won't be terrible.
But Ignis looks shifty and can't seem to look him in the eye, and Noct narrows his eyes suspiciously. "What aren't you telling me?" He asks.
Ignis frowns and looks uncomfortable. "There's also an additional term to the agreement," He says. "A symbol of the peace, if you will."
"And?"
"It's… an arranged marriage," He says carefully. "The king has asked me to relay your response in this matter."
At first, Noct is confused because who would they have his father marry? The only possible candidate Noct can think of would be the first secretary of Accordo, and somehow Noct can't seem to imagine Secretary Claustra ever agreeing to this, given from what Luna's seen of her political actions.
And then he realizes it's stupid for the empire to have the king marry, because his dad is old and the arranged marriage is probably—
"Oh," He breathes. It's for himself. "But Gladio," Comes rushing out of Noct's mouth before he realizes it, and he hastily stops talking.
"I know," Ignis says quietly, his eyes understanding and sympathetic. "Your father knows how much it means to you, so he's leaving it up to you to decide."
Noct takes a deep breath. Then another. Though his relationship with Gladio has been kept quiet from the press, his father and Clarus Amicitia were informed. They took the news with varying degrees of approval (Noct's dad gave him a tired but genuinely pleased smile, while Gladio tells him Clarus chewed him out for a few days for trying to date the "fucking prince you're supposed to protect, have you gone mad?") but ultimately have accepted it.
His father respects their relationship. If it's come to the point where he's on the verge of forcing his son into an arranged marriage, then the circumstances must be dire.
"Does Gladio know?" Ignis nods.
Noct sighs and shakes his head. "It's not like they're giving me much of a choice," He mutters, and then louder, "Who do they want me to marry?"
"Your childhood friend, I believe. The Oracle of Tenebrae, Lunafreya Nox Fleuret," Ignis responds promptly, and Noct's heart stops.
Luna?
"I... tell dad that I accept the marriage proposal," Noct says distantly, and he's trying to figure things out, and his brain is whirring, and he realizes that he can make this work.
Ignis is looking at him in surprise, probably because he accepted so easily. "We have more time," He offers. "You can spend a little longer thinking about it."
"We don't have any other options," Noct says, still trying to deduce how exactly this will play out. "Accepting the treaty is literally the only option we have. I have to say yes, Ignis."
Ignis looks at him, pity in his gaze. "Very well, I will inform His Majesty."
"No, wait," Noct stands up. "Actually, I want to tell him myself."
And so he meets his father alone in the throne room, and after all the guards have cleared out Noct tells him of his decision.
His father opens his mouth to say something in response, but Noct quickly cuts him off. "Dad," He says, his tone urgent. "Why are you agreeing to this treaty?"
"We have no more options, Noctis," His father replies, unknowingly echoing Noct's words to Ignis only moments before.
"I know that," Noct says, frustrated. "But it's obviously a trap. They could have easily destroyed us at Galahd, but they pulled back. Niflheim is planning something, and I know it makes sense to agree to their terms, but it's so blatantly clear that the treaty's not what it seems."
Noct's father looks at him in surprise. "I had not realized you noticed," He says slowly. "But yes, I do believe that the empire is attempting to lure us in."
"Then why agree?"
To that, his father remains silent, a regretful look washing across his face. "You were not supposed to know about the empire's retreat at Galahd," He admits. "I'm afraid there are many things I do not tell you, Noctis, and I hope you do not hold it against me.
"You will meet Lady Lunafreya in Altissia, where the two of you will be wed," He continues. "Take your companions with you."
"I don't understand," Noct says desperately. "What are you hiding from me?" All of a sudden he's reminded of what Gentiana told Luna all those years ago, when she asked about the Accursed. It is the will of the king, she had said, and refused to answer Luna's question.
"Noctis, please," His father implores him, and he sounds so close to begging that Noct flinches. He's never heard his father sound so beaten. "Please, just follow my words."
"At least let me stay in Insomnia with you during the signing," Noct begs, but he only shakes his head.
"You shall be departing as soon as preparations for your trip are complete."
And then the matter is closed, and Noct can do nothing but stare helplessly at his father's old and resigned expression.
When he goes in a daze back to his apartment, Ignis, Gladio and Prompto are all there.
"Hey."
"Hey," Gladio greets, his expression unreadable. "Heard you decided to say yes."
Instantly, guilt washes through Noct, because Gladio doesn't know about Luna, and he can't imagine what it must be like to know that your boyfriend is going to get married.
"Gladio, I—" He tries to say, but Gladio holds his hand up.
"I get it," He says. "We can talk about it later. For now, what did the king say?"
"I'm to go to Altissia," Noct replies. "I— Luna's going to be there, too. We'll be gone before the signing."
"We?" Ignis asks.
"Yeah, he wants you all to go with me," Noct responds, and then turns to Prompto. "How much do you know?"
Prompto shrugs helplessly. "Umm, something about treaties and marriage?" He says. "Noct, am I coming too? I'm just a civilian."
"You don't have to," Noct answers. "It's your choice. I'd want you to go, but no one's forcing you." But even though Prompto isn't obligated to join Noct, he'd very much prefer it. Prompto has only become a closer friend as years pass, and he wouldn't want to leave him here in the capital (Not during the signing, when something is bound to happen. Niflheim should never be underestimated.).
"Well, count me in!" Prompto says cheerfully. "I wouldn't miss your wedding for anything!" And then he seems to realize just who Noct's marrying, and he stutters, "Wait, that's not what I meant."
Tactfully ignoring Prompto's comments, Gladio tells him, "Well, then you're gonna need some basic training in fighting. I guess my dad'll be in charge of that. Well, someone in the Crownsguard, at least."
"Oh, ok." Prompto says easily, but then, "Uhh, I don't know whether I could learn to fight that fast, though."
"You'll be fine," Noct assures him. "You just need to know how to defend yourself. You have great aim too, maybe we could give you a gun."
Ignis clears his throat lightly. "Prompto and I will go to the Citadel to start making preparations. Gladio, Noct, you two stay here and decide what to pack."
"Huh? What? Ignis I don't know what to—" Prompto starts to say, but at Ignis' pointed stare, he looks at Gladio and Noct. "Oh. Oooooh. Umm, bye you two!"
So Ignis and Prompto quickly take their leave, and once the door closes Gladio and Noct turn towards each other.
"So," Gladio says quietly. "You agreed."
"I'm sorry," Noct says automatically, and he really does mean it. "Please don't think that it's because I don't want you to be my boyfriend or something, it's nothing like that."
"It's fine." Gladio seats himself, and motions for Noct to sit next to him. "I get it, Noct. You did the right thing. We need this treaty."
But then Gladio notices the way Noct looks oddly unmoved by that statement, the way his eyes flicker like he's thinking, how he frowns ever so slightly. "What's going on in that brain of yours?"
"I think," Noct says, then pauses. "Well, first of all, the marriage with L-Luna." He stumbles over the name, not used to the way it passes through his lips. "Gladio, I'm going to make this work. I can't really explain how, but it's going to happen."
Gladio looks at him skeptically. "What do you mean?"
"I don't know," Noct says, frustrated that he can't simply say I am Luna, so it's fine. "Just… trust in me, ok? When we get to Altissia, I'll talk to m— her, and we'll figure something out."
"Noct, I don't believe in infidelity," Gladio says slowly, looking at him like he's lost his mind.
Noct makes a noise of frustration and pinches the bridge of his nose. Does it really count as adultery if you're the same person, he wants to say, but he can't, not right now.
Can he really hide the fact that he's Luna, though? Once they meet and they are together once again, can they really continue to pretend they are different? Memories of Luna and Noct together in Tenebrae are hazy, and he has no idea whether anyone was suspicious of them, but they were children and people cared less, so it hadn't mattered.
Additionally, Noct was mostly stuck in a wheelchair. Now they won't be able to hide the fact that they walk in time with each other, or they speak in the same rhythm.
Noct shakes his head. He doesn't want to think about this right now. "Look, let's just deal with this in Altissia," He says to Gladio. "Is that ok with you?"
"... Yeah," Gladio says, still looking uncomfortable at the prospect of Noct cheating on his to-be wife. Noct can't blame him, to be honest. If he were Gladio, he probably would've rejected the very notion of it. "What else were you thinking about?"
"The treaty. It's a trap," Noct says despairingly. "I even asked dad, and he basically just confirmed it. Niflheim's planning something something big, and he wants me out of the city. I'm pretty sure that's why he's making all of us go to Altissia."
"Hold on," Gladio says, his eyes widening in alarm. "Are you sure? Ignis didn't say anything about this."
"Because Ignis doesn't know," Noct stresses. "When the Kingsglaive was defeated at Galahd, the empire suddenly retreated. Then they came to my dad directly to negotiate terms of peace. It's so blatantly clear that they aren't actually acting out of for mercy. Niflheim doesn't work like that."
"How do you know all this info if even Ignis—" Gladio cuts himself off. "The other you found out?"
"It's not exactly confidential information outside the Crown City," Noct admits.
Gladio mulls all of this over, his long hair spilling over onto Noct's shoulder. "I think," He says slowly. "That we're just gonna have to leave it up to the king. We can't disobey his orders, and your dad isn't helpless, Noct. He definitely has a plan up his sleeve."
"I know," Noct sighs. "I just… wish I was here during the signing. It would make me feel a lot better."
"Nothing is going to happen to the king," Gladio says reassuringly. "They'd have to get through my old man first."
Noct snorts and pokes his arm. "Wow, thanks." He says dryly. "That makes me feel a lot better."
"Hey," Gladio says suddenly, nudging Noct. "Do you remember that one time last year when you crossdressed? You went legit, with a wig and everything."
"You mean for that rally?" Noct grumbles. "I was trying to discredit gender norms. I'm never doing it again, by the way. It was cool and all, and I guess I made my point, but all the people staring at me afterwards was seriously not worth it. And the press had a field day."
"Oh man, Crownsguard was going wild that day, trying to do damage control. I think you gave my dad an aneurysm." Gladio grins. "We should take that outfit with us to Altissia. It'd be a great disguise."
"Oh my god," Noct looks up in alarm. "Why would I need a disguise?"
"Or, maybe you could wear it to your wedding." Gladio says thoughtfully. "You still keep in touch with Lady Lunafreya, right? I see her messenger dog, Umbra, sometimes. You should convince her to wear a matching suit."
"Gladio, what." Noct's so embarrassed right now. "I swear, we've been dating for four years and I still don't understand how your sense of humor works."
"I just like making fun of you," He answers easily.
"Well, you're dumb," Noct retorts back lamely, and without any spite. "You and your dumb mullet, big-ass tattoo and cool scar. And muscles."
"Noct, you literally chose the tattoo design and officially okay-ed my hairstyle." Gladio says flatly. "I do agree with the muscles and scar part, though."
"You better," Noct scoots over onto Gladio's lap. "You're the best."
Noct doesn't know what Gladio's thinking right now about their relationship, whether he thinks they should stop now or wait until Altissia, but he allows Noct to lean into him and even puts his arms around his waist. And they kind of just sit there until Ignis and Prompto come back, silent and full of thoughts.
When Luna hears about the treaty, she is told that she will be wed to Noct. And then they tell her that she is to accompany the emperor to Insomnia on the day of the signing.
But that's wrong, she thinks, because her father told Noct that she would be waiting in Accordo. Why is she going to Lucis?
The empire commissions her a wedding dress, and it's beautiful. All the maids marvel over it, and when Luna tries it on she feels light, lighter than she has in a long time. Despite everything, her worries about the empire's schemes, her weakened father, her and Gladio, she is actually looking forward to the wedding.
The covenant has been looming on her mind for years, inching closer and closer every time she takes a breath. Gentiana has already told her it's inevitable. Luna has to accept it. But maybe… maybe before everything, she can meet them all, father, Ignis, Prompto and Gladio. At the very least, she will see them before that, right?
And the key to all of it is the marriage.
But first, she must get to Altissia. It is difficult, but she manages to get her old nanny to open the backdoor of the manor where her private driver is waiting to drive her to the train station, where she can ride the rails to Accordo.
Before she even steps foot outside, however, she is caught. Ravus takes her to room.
"What is the empire planning, brother?" She asks him.
"You've dreamt up the entire plot, Lunafreya," Ravus tells her coldly, and leaves.
It frustrates her to no end that Ravus is always on the empire's side. But what can she do? Maybe it won't be so bad after all, to go to Insomnia, she thinks. After all, that way she can keep an eye on everything during the signing.
So Luna waits in her room for the day she departs for the Crown City, while Noct and the others prepare to leave for Altissia.
Almost as an afterthought, Noct informs Prompto about his situation, or as Gladio's dubbed it, "the two bodies thing," mainly because he thinks Prompto will get a kick out of it. His eyes go as wide as saucers, and he looks at Noct like he's never met him before.
"Are you serious?" Prompto breathes. "That is so. Cool. You're like, the main character of a really weird video game. How does it work? Like you're just here, doing stuff, and then there's another Noct, somewhere else, also doing stuff?"
"I guess?" Noct replies helplessly. "It's not like there's a carbon copy of me out there or something though, of course I look different. But other then that, I guess you could say I'm 'doing stuff.'"
"Wait, so you said the Astrals gifted it to the Lucis bloodline?" Prompto asks, his brow furrowing. "Why?"
"Well, I think it's supposed to be like a sort of last resort," Noct responds slowly. "Like, if I die, at least I can just rule for a while longer in my other body, or at least until I've found a successor. That's why I'm not allowed to tell anyone who I am, by the way. I don't want myself getting assassinated."
"That's so weird. Are you even allowed to tell me all this?"
Noct shrugs. "Well, you're basically honorary Crownsguard at this point," He tells Prompto. "Besides, you're accompanying royalty on a road trip. You kind of have to know why I'm going to inevitably fall asleep while eating. I don't want you thinking I'm sick or anything— just tired from being two people at once."
"Noct, you fall asleep while eating all the time, even when you aren't taking a road trip."
And then before long, it's the day before the signing, and Noct and the others stand before the king. It's an oddly formal and stiff affair, until Noct looks up into his father's eyes, and tells him, "Be careful, alright? Watch yourself around our imperial guests."
His father looks surprised, then oddly amused. "Very well, Noctis. Take care to remember your manners around Lunafreya."
Noct chuckles, then in a breach of decorum he walks up the stairs leading to his father's throne. "You take care too," He says, and leans in close to hug him. "See you later, dad."
Noct and his dad don't have the closest relationship, but it's a relationship with a sort of understanding that causes both of them to regard each other with a lot of affection. Noct tries his best to make his tiring father's life easier, while he respects Noct's personal decisions and choices.
After his mother died twelve years ago, Noct doesn't take his dad for granted. Even when his dad his hiding things from him, that won't change.
The king gives him a proud smile, his gray hair bright in the light filtering through the windows and the wrinkles on his face crinkling.
"Walk tall, my son."
Noct does.
On the day before the signing, while Noct and the others climb into the Regalia and take their leave for ten long years, Luna walks onto an imperial airship for the first time, on her way to Insomnia.
"Emperor Iedolas Aldercapt," She greets, and she and Ravus bow.
Only the emperor, dressed in Niflheim's traditional white colors, heeds her no mind, barely glancing in her direction, and Luna is left alone. Well, alone as she can be with 2 imperial soldiers guarding her.
Ravus goes off to do who knows what, so Luna seats herself on one of the chairs by the window and watches the landscape below with interest. Neither she nor Noct have ever been up so high.
Before long though, Luna hears footsteps approaching, and when she looks up it's an unfamiliar face, a man in black (and it's strange, she thinks, that he's wearing Lucian colors) with purple-tinged hair and a dishonest-looking smile. She tries not to tense up, keeping her expression clear.
"Lady Lunafreya, was it?" And he bows low, even tips his hat, but somehow it just feels as if he's making a mockery of her. "So wonderful to finally meet you, my dear. I am Ardyn Izunia, the chancellor of Niflheim."
Luna may have never met him, but she recognizes the name. "Chancellor Izunia," She greets, carefully hiding the tension in her voice. "The honor is mine."
"Oh, my dear," Ardyn puts his hat back on, and his oily smile doesn't waver. "You are much too kind."
When he finally leaves, Luna can't help but feel immensely relieved, and she doesn't know why other people don't see it, how Ardyn Izunia reeks of darkness. It flows off him in waves. Perhaps it's due to her being the Oracle that she can sense it, but it's dark and malevolent and she's not sure what kind of monster he is.
(Most certainly not a human, at least.)
Meanwhile, Noct is huffing and wheezing because it's hot and he's tired and he hates his dad's stupid car, why did it have to break?
"Gladio, I order you to push this thing by yourself." He wheezes out.
"Oh, I like that one," Prompto gasps.
"All by myself?" Gladio grunts out, and despite being out of breath he somehow still manages to sound menacing. "I will literally murder the both of you."
"Ignis, can you at least get out of the car? You're only making this harder."
And so they go, pushing and gasping all the way to Hammerhead. When they finally arrive, Prompto and Noct lie on the floor, and it takes Gladio kicking them with his boot for Noct to even try to stumble to his feet.
"Save me Iggy," Prompto rasps. "I'm being cruelly and unusually punished."
"You're getting your clothes dirty," Ignis informs him, but the amusement is clear in his voice. "Get off the ground, Prompto."
They meet Cindy Aurum, a cheerful girl that Prompto falls for immediately, and her bad-tempered 'paw-paw,' Cid Sophiar. Noct recognizes the name from the stories his father used to tell him before bed.
"So yer the prince," Cid scowls and insults Noct, and while his tone is antagonistic, his sharp eyes are calculating and analytic, as if he's trying to judge Noct's character.
As payment for the car, Cid makes them dispatch monsters. It's fairly simple, and it lets Noct see Prompto in action for the first time. He knows that there's no way they would have let him come along if he couldn't hold his own, but Noct needs to see it with his own eyes that Prompto will be ok.
At some point, Cindy calls him and asks Noct and the others to search for a hunter named Dave, who apparently went missing a few days ago. When they find Dave, he asks them to kill a rogue beast for him, and it goes on and on, and by the time they're back at Hammerhead, it's already late afternoon.
"Here's the girl, y'all!" Cindy says cheerfully, and gestures at the practically good as new Regalia. "Take better care of her next time, y'all hear me? Also, you wouldn't mind deliverin' some packages fer me, would you? It's on the way to Galdin Quay, so it ought to be no trouble at all."
"I mean, sure, I guess."
But it's when Noct and the others are fighting the bloodhorn that someone puts their hand on Luna's shoulder and her concentration on the fight snaps, causing Noct to stumble for a second.
"Sister," Ravus says. "We have arrived."
And she steps out of the aircraft and onto the ground of Lucis for the first time. It's so strange, she thinks, looking at all the foreign buildings around her, because she keeps expecting it to look new and different, but it's the same city she departed from only a few hours ago.
They take her to the Citadel, and somewhere along the way the imperial guards and attendants around here are replaced with the familiar black coats of the Crownsguard. To her amusement, she is driven there in her own car, by the Glaive that she recognizes as the one who chauffeured Noct a few days ago.
He guides her through the familiar layout of the Citadel, and up the elevator to the throne room, and she enters it for the second time that day, to see her father, yet again.
The Glaive announces her as "Her royal highness, Princess Lunafreya of Tenebrae," and Luna has to quickly stifle a laugh. It's likely that the people of Lucis still refer to her as 'princess' as a sign of respect, after all, instead of the way the empire does, with a mocking edge to all their words.
Her father rises from his throne when he sees her walk forward, towards him.
"It's been far too long, Lunafreya." He greets, and he smiles almost wistfully, his eyes full of emotion.
And it's hard, and Luna hesitates before speaking, because she doesn't know what to say. When her father looks at her, he sees the woman he left behind in a destroyed country, in the flames and the screaming. She can see the guilt in the way he stands, as if a large weight is holding him down.
But to her, he's always been her dad, the one who said he would always protect her and always has, the one who risked everything to spirit Noct away from Tenebrae, the one who saved Noct from the daemon, the one who let Noct live by himself in the city, the one who let Noct date Gladio, the one who is always there for Noct.
(And she is Noct.)
She can't say what she really means, not all the things she could thank him for, not without being too much like Noct. So instead, she puts on the smile of the Oracle. Her posture is perfect, her hands clasped in front of her, and tries to put his guilt and worries at rest as best she can.
"King Regis," And she makes her voice gentle, mimicking the way her mother used to speak. "It is good to see you as well."
"I had sent one of my Glaive to escort you to Altissia, where Noctis awaits," Her father says. "But I fear something went awry. It is not too late— go now, Lunafreya, leave the city. It is not safe here."
And even though Luna wants to go to Altissia— she wants so terribly, hasn't she proved that— she shakes her head, and and she can't say what she wants, not what she really means, but Luna tells her father, "There are things here that I must do first."
Because the king can order Noct out of the city, away to Accordo, but he can't do so to her, Lunafreya of Tenebrae, so she will stay here and make sure her father will live and her city will survive.
Of course, her father doesn't understand— what could Luna possibly need in Insomnia? But he sees the determined look on her brow and hears resolve in her voice, and he knows there's no way she will leave.
By the time Noct gets to Galdin Quay, it's getting dark fast and the celebrations that welcome the Emperor Aldercapt to Lucis have begun.
"We don't have enough funds to stay at the hotel, unfortunately, but we can rent the caravan," Ignis offers. "There's also the option at staying at the nearby haven."
"Well, Gladio did being all that camping equipment along," Prompto points out. "It'd be a shame to not use it before we get on the boat."
So they set up camp, getting out the tent, chairs, and portable stove. When they first open up the Regalia's trunk, all the equipment comes spilling out.
"Woah, how did we even get all this stuff in here?" Prompto asks, sounding rather disbelieving.
"A lot of effort," Gladio answers dryly. "Gotta hand it to Cindy. She managed to put her packages in with all this stuff still in here? That takes talent."
"Hey wait, where's my stuff?" Prompto yelps and starts pulling the camping gear out. "My clothes! My extra camera! Did I forget to put it in?"
"Relax, I got it." Noct says, patting Prompto on the back. "See?" He holds his arm out, and Prompto's duffel bag materializes into existence in a burst of blue magic. "Don't worry, I have everybody's luggage."
"Wait, you can do that?" Prompto demands, sounding insulted that he never knew. "I thought you could only store weapons!"
"Well technically, yeah, but 'weapon' can apply to a lot of things."
"Wait, then why did we even put all this camping stuff in the trunk? You could've just stored it in your magical space compartments!"
"That's because Noct can do something else with the camping gear," Ignis interjects. "Let's gather everything and take it to the haven."
So they do, and once Gladio is done pitching the tent and all the chairs have been set up, Noct closes his eyes and concentrates hard. He's never actually done this before, but his dad's explained the steps clearly enough so that it shouldn't be too difficult.
And sure enough, when his eyes open, the tent and chairs glow a soft blue, matching the color of the runes below, before fading back into their normal hue.
"I'm pretty sure we're set."
"Wait, what." Prompto says blankly. "What just happened?"
"These runes do more than just repel daemons," Ignis explains, gesturing at the glowing scripture below them. "They're powered by the crystal, and those who can use the crystal's magic can also store items at havens."
"Basically, now that we've set this stuff up, we can just leave it here and it'll show up at whatever haven we stop at next and we won't have to pack and unpack all the time," Noct elaborates. "I don't want to store all this stuff in my personal 'storage;' it's hard to keep track of everything after a while."
"Why would it even matter, though?" Prompto asks. "I mean, we're leaving on the ferry tomorrow. It's not like we're even going to any more havens."
"It never hurts to be prepared," Ignis says. "Also, just because we aren't now doesn't mean we'll never rest at a haven for the rest of our lives."
"Explain the weapons and healing items to him while you're at it," Gladio's voice can be heard while he's rummaging through their supplies.
"Got it. So you know how you summoned that gun during battles?"
"Yeah, I thought all Crownsguard could do that. We get like, linked to the crystal's magic through the king, right?"
"Yeah. I guess they told you something after all." Noct says. "Unlike the rest of the guard though, I've linked all of you directly to my own magic, so we can coordinate things during fights better. I can control what weapon you materialize, basically, so just tell me when you want to equip something else. Also, healing items. Like, look at those potions we used earlier today; they're literally just energy drinks."
"What?" Noct can't help but laugh. Prompto looks devastated, like his whole life was a lie. "You mean I've just been using Gatorade to heal myself?!"
"If it makes you feel better, they're imbued with Noct's magic, so they have more healing properties than you would think," Ignis offers. "But it makes it rather convenient to buy, since energy drinks can be bought at practically any outpost."
"Oh my god," Prompto says faintly. "I bet you're gonna tell me now that the store in the Regalia is run by magic too."
"Actually, yeah. I really don't get how that one works though, and I never bothered to ask, so I can't really explain it."
Prompto groans. "Ok, I'm ready to go to sleep now. My mind has been blown way too many times. The whole thing just sounds like the explanation of some wild video game mechanics."
At the party, Luna watches as Emperor Aldercapt and her father exchange pleasantries, the tension thick in the air. Despite that, she's more wary of Chancellor Izunia, standing at the side with a glass of wine by himself. He appears to be enjoying it.
As the fireworks light up the night sky, Luna scans the politicians gathered around her, and eventually she catches sight of the Glaive, the same one as before. He's standing at attention, obviously at guard duty.
If Luna thinks about it, it's rather odd for a Glaive to be here. After Galahd, they ought to have been released from duties, at least for a bit. Maybe he's here as punishment?
Curiosity spurs her on, and she finds herself walking towards him. "We were never properly introduced," Luna says to him. "I am Lunafreya, of Tenebrae."
The Glaive looks up to her, and it might just be her imagination, but it almost looks like he's laughing at her. "I'm well aware, Princess." He says to her. "I'm Nyx, Nyx Ulric. Of Galahd."
Nyx Ulric. The name sounds familiar to her, and then Luna remembers that she's heard the name from Kingsglaive reports. Ulric, the one who disobeyed orders to retreat in order to save a fellow Glaive. He's talented, but can't be trusted to follow a higher-up.
"Tell me, Nyx Ulric," Luna asks him. "Who was it that m— that the king sent to escort me out of Tenebrae?"
Nyx is silent, watching her for a moment. When he finally does speak, he only says, "Her name was Crowe."
Oh. So she's dead. Luna swallows whatever she had planned on saying, and tells Nyx as sincerely as she can, "I see. My deepest condolences; I know loss is difficult."
She's ready to turn and walk away, guilty that she's caused him pain, but then Nyx says, "Here. She was going to give it to you." He pulls a small box out of his pocket, and when she opens it, it's a pretty silver hairpin.
"Thank you," Luna says, and she gingerly takes it from him. "I'll keep it with me."
"Take care of it," Nyx tells her, and it almost feels as if he's saying something else— it's almost as if he's warning her of something— but Luna doesn't know what he's means, and he doesn't elaborate.
It's at that moment that Gladio claps Noct on the back, who's staring blankly into the campfire, on the back. "Hey, Princess," He says, causing Noct to jerk up in surprise. It's going to get rather disorienting soon, with Luna being addressed with that title in Lucis and Gladio calling him it as well. "What do you say about some early morning training tomorrow? We can go fishing afterwards."
"Are you trying to bribe me?" Noct asks automatically.
"Well, is it working?"
"Yes, absolutely." Noct yawns. "Come to bed with me?"
"If you guys start making out in the tent, I reserve the right to take pictures," Prompto's muffled voice floats through the tent flaps. "I'll make Ignis choose the best ones to save."
"Relax, we'll keep everything PG." Gladio laughs and helps Noct up. "Off to bed, then."
So Noct drifts off, nestled in between the sleeping bodies of the others, but Luna is still wide awake, pacing in the room that they've provided her. The evening gathering is over, and she's tired and wants to rest, but at the same time she doesn't want tomorrow to come.
She finds herself walking to the elevator and allows it to carry her to the roof, where the event took place. There's no one here now, (And it's a bit odd, really, because even though it's deserted, shouldn't there still be guards stationed here?) and Luna steps over to the edge and grips the railings.
Insomnia looks the same as ever, a sprawling metropolitan with shimmering lights that stretch far and wide. The night is dark, but the translucent Wall flashes ever so slightly, a constant presence.
Her father agreed to the peace treaty for this, this city and its splendor and riches. Luna can't forget that.
Then suddenly, without warning, a distorted voice speaks behind her.
"When you look below, Oracle," The voice says, "What do you see?"
It's been a long time since she's heard that voice, but there's no way she could ever forget it.
"General Glauca," She whispers, and turns around to face him. The man who killed her mother stands before once again.
"Do you see hope?" Glauca questions her. "Do you see something worth protecting? You, the slave of the Gods and what they have ordained?"
"Why are you here?" asks Luna, and her voice shakes. He did not accompany the emperor into Insomnia. How did he get past the Wall?
"The more important question is, why are you here?" Glauca steps closer to her. Luna can't step back. "It is not Niflheim that needs you. You are here for me."
"What?"
An imperial airship appears, and Glauca gestures for her to get on board. "You first, Oracle."
Luna steps forward. Puts one foot in front of the other. Then another. Then another.
They take her out of Insomnia, and the ship smoothly and silently moves through the confines of the Wall. It joins ranks with its 2 dozen or so brethren, and Luna is speechless. She doesn't understand how, she doesn't understand why. It's impossible for them to—
"Chancellor Izunia has devised a way to slip through the king's protections. Unfortunately, with the Wall still intact, we can move only one ship through at a time," Glauca tells her, his tone almost conversational. "Certainly not fast enough to launch a full scale invasion."
Luna clenches her fists, then forces herself to calm down. "What is the empire planning?" She asks him.
"Come tomorrow, you will know."
He leaves her in a locked room guarded by two MTs, and Luna has no choice to comply and play into their hands, because there is no way she can defeat General Glauca in a fight (Even as Noct, she doubts she can— but as Luna, physically untrained in combat, there is no shadow of a doubt that she would be destroyed.), but she has one ace up her sleeve that no one knows about.
Noct.
Unfortunately, she can't control sleeping patterns, so she settles down on the bed, which is hard and stiff compared to the one in her lodgings. Luna closes her eyes, clutches the hairpin Nyx had given her, and waits for Noct to wake in the morning.
Then the next thing he knows, Gladio is shaking him awake, and Noct gasps and scrambles onto his feet.
"... That's like, the fastest I've ever seen you wake up, Sleeping Beauty," Gladio comments quietly, careful not to wake the others.
"Where's my phone?" Noct demands, and scrambles around in search of it. His heart is pounding, there's no time to waste. "There's something I need to tell dad."
"Wait, right now?"
"Right now," Noct confirms, and spots his phone buried in a pile of his clothes. "It's a trap— I know what they're planning, they need to know—"
"Hold on," Gladio cuts him off, and he jerks Noct around to face him. "First off, calm down. You look like you're on the verge of a panic attack. Breathe with me, alright?"
Noct takes a deep breath. "There. Happy?"
"Not really," Gladio says dryly. "Let's take this outside."
They walk out of the tent, crouching to fit through the opening. "I don't know where all of this came from, considering that you've just been sleeping the whole time," Gladio says to him. "But listen to me. They know. The king knows it's a trap. We've been over this, remember? Whatever set you off, it was probably just a dream."
"It's not a dream!" Noct protests, and he resists the urge to try and pull some of his hair out. "They don't know about—"
He stops, because it's in that moment that Noct fully processes Gladio's words, and he thinks,
It's a trap.
What does it all mean? Noct bites his lip. He was so sure that— all those imperial drop ships—
Unfortunately, with the Wall still intact, we can only move one ship through at a time. Certainly not fast enough to launch a full-scale invasion.
Are they planning to destroy the Wall? The only way to do that is incapacitate his father, or take the ring from him. It's obvious that they must also want the Crystal as well, then. But all of that is easier said than done. His father won't go down that easily. Then all those ships— they would have to go through the Wall one at a time, meaning they would be easy targets to shoot down one by one. It wouldn't work.
Also, why would they take Luna? With all the proceedings going on today, it's likely that her disappearance will go unnoticed, since she wasn't going to be present at the actual signing anyway.
It is not Niflheim that needs you. You are here for me.
What does that even mean? Why would Glauca need her? What use would he have of Luna, someone whose value lies only in her ability to heal? None of this makes sense. Niflheim doesn't need her, Glauca needs her. Glauca is Niflheim, though. He's the general of their forces, and he kidnapped Luna because— because—
It is not too late— go now, Lunafreya, leave the city. It is not safe here.
His father— his father, the king, who holds an untold amount of affection for Luna. Luna can be used as a bargaining piece. Niflheim knew this, that was most likely why they brought her to begin with, yes?
So, say that she was kidnapped to coerce father to do something— demand that they hand over the Crystal and the ring? Noct realizes that, with dawning horror, that they could, and he has no idea whether his father would agree or not. But no, something isn't adding up. If they wanted to do that, they could have easily done so in the past twelve years— threaten to kill Luna in exchange for the surrender of Lucis.
So no, that's not their plan. Back to square one. They put her on a fleet of imperial ships that are unable to attack the capital, at least until the king is taken care of and the ring taken. His father, noting his affection for Luna, could possibly notice that she was missing, and what would he do? That one is easy to answer, he would—
"It's a trap," Noct breathes.
Because if his father notices that Luna is gone, he will send out his men to rescue her. If they find the imperial fleet beforehand as well, he will most likely send as many as he can to destroy them before they reach the Crown City.
The entire thing was a diversion. The real threat is most likely inside the city, with the chancellor and emperor. Of course, all of this is conjecture, and General Glauca could have very well been lying, but the chances of all of this being true are too big to ignore. By calling his dad right now and telling him Luna has been taken, Noct will be playing right into their hands.
So he can't call his dad, not about this. Not even if he tells him that it's a ploy to leave the city unprotected, because he doesn't know whether his dad will choose Luna over Lucis the way he chose Noct over Insomnia. (Noct doesn't how or why yet, but he can't shake off the feeling that all of this is for him.) That day, when he left Luna in Tenebrae, he was doing his duty, but Noct's not sure if his father will be willing to leave her behind again. The guilt is too obvious in his face.
What else can he say? Niflheim is planning to attack the city, they are ready to strike inside the Wall is really all he knows at this point, and that really isn't helpful information. He was there when he saw his father positioning all the Crownsguard around the city. He's been spreading out his forces throughout the city already, heavily guarding landmark areas. They are as prepared as they can be to face an assault in the city, and Noct telling him this won't change anything.
At this point, all he really can hope is that his dad doesn't realize Luna is gone.
"You calmed down yet?" Gladio's voice snaps Noct out of his thoughts.
"...Yeah," Noct says. He's grateful to Gladio. Even though he helped Noct out that hadn't been intended, Gladio was still the reason why he's figured all of this out. "Thanks. For always being here for me."
Gladio watches him for a moment, trying to figure out whether he's lying. Whatever he sees in Noct's expression makes him sigh. "Alright, let's skip the training for today."
"What? Really?" Noct's surprised; Gladio almost never calls off training sessions.
"Frankly speaking, you look stressed as hell." Gladio says flatly. "Normally I would just make you exercise, but today we have options. Why don't we just go straight to fishing?"
And so they do, but even so, Noct can't quite get his thoughts off his father and Insomnia. Gladio, of course, notices as well.
"So, ready to set off to Altissia?" He asks Noct, his voice light and conversational.
"What're you trying to say?" Noct asks as he carefully reels in the fish.
Gladio sighs, and lowers himself onto the wooden planks of the dock. It's so uncharacteristic of him, and Noct glances at him in surprise. "Listen," He says. "You're not the only one who's worried. You're stressed, I'm stressed. As a group, we've managed to keep up the good cheer, but no one's really happy about the situation, although Prompto does a good job pretending he does."
He gestures at Noct to sit down next to him. "Why don't we just… talk?" Gladio says. "We haven't done that in a while."
Wordlessly, Noct lets his fishing rod dematerialize and plops down next to Gladio. "I think we both ignored it," The larger man says slowly, sounding the words out carefully. "We both knew that we might not be able to stay together one day; that our responsibilities and duties might force us apart. The throne always needs an heir, and we just both disregarded that fact for a bit."
"Don't say that," Noct snaps back immediately, horrified. "What kind of relationship would it even be if we got together knowing we wouldn't be able to stay that way? Of course we wouldn't think about it."
"Then when are we going to start?" Gladio counters calmly. "You told me to wait until Altissia to sort things out. And that's what we're going to do, because this isn't just about us anymore. It's about the future of Lucis, and it's about Lady Lunafreya. She should also get a say in what happens next. But just because we aren't ready to do something about it now doesn't mean we shouldn't talk about it."
And Gladio doesn't know this, but Noct does: the wedding won't happen. Now that it's definite the empire has something planned for today, the treaty will be called off, the engagement cancelled. It will never happen. Noct and the others are all going to Altissia for nothing, and no one knows this yet.
"Gladio, I love you," Noct says instead, and he pours as much sincerity as he can into those words. "Don't forget that, alright? Like, even if I do have to get married and maybe we have to break up, I don't know. There's a lot of things going on, but I want that to be the one thing that never changes. Maybe one day I won't even like you romantically anymore. But I'll always love you, ok?"
Gladio, to his credit, doesn't even look flustered by that, but he does give Noct a warm smile. "Yeah, I know. And you're fucking adorable, have I ever told you that?" And he pulls Noct in for a heartfelt hug, and says quietly, "I love you too, you know."
Noct closes his eyes and lets himself just enjoy the moment while it lasts, only all of a sudden there's the sound of a camera clicking, and Prompto lets out a whoop behind them. "Aww, you guys are so cute!"
"Stop fucking ruining the moment, you asshole!" Noct roars, and Gladio snorts. "Gladio, let me go right now. I need to beat up his ass."
Only Prompto just takes more pictures as Noct struggles to get out of Gladio's grip, and when he's finally reached him, Prompto's showing Ignis all the shots he took, and he's nodding appreciatively at all the pictures.
"Good morning, Noct," Ignis says innocently, a smug air around him. "I had Prompto go fetch the two of you. Breakfast has been prepared."
"He bribed me with an extra pancake for pictures," Prompto adds helpfully.
So they eat breakfast, and before Noct knows it they're walking back to the port, ready to board the next ferry to Altissia. Noct is hesitant to leave Lucis now, though— with the marriage nullification a guarantee, he doesn't want to leave the country before the attack on Insomnia.
But when they get there, a familiar figure stands in their way. Noct takes a sharp breath. Ignis notices, and immediately the group tenses.
"Now, now, no need to be so suspicious," Chancellor Izunia chides, and his eyes narrow. "You came here for the ships. I am here to tell you that there will be none."
"Who are you?" Gladio asks, a dangerous tone leaking into his voice, and Noct realizes that other than himself, no one knows who Ardyn Izunia is.
"Just a man of no consequence," And he bows like he did to Luna, with the same mocking edge. When he straightens, he throws a coin at Noct, which Gladio deftly catches. "Consider that your allowance, if you will."
"Why are you here?" Noct asks guardedly. He can't give away that he knows who is in front him— it's obvious that he's supposed to be just as in the dark as his friends. But it looks like what Glauca said really was true; the chancellor of Niflheim can slip through the Wall at will. The real question is why he's here at Galdin Quay, meeting with the prince, instead of at the Crown City when the signing is only hours away.
But Ardyn only laughs, and he looks at Noct like they're sharing a private joke. "Don't you already know, your Highness? This ceasefire is getting us nowhere, after all." And with that, he takes his leave, still chuckling to himself.
"What was that?" Prompto mutters, sounding creeped out. "What a weirdo."
Ignis turns to Noct, eyeing him thoughtfully. "You recognized him," He says. "And he recognized you." It's not a question.
"Yeah," Noct says, but doesn't say anything else. "What's the coin he gave us?"
Gladio hands it over to him. "Looks like a souvenir of some sort," He comments. "Care to enlighten us, princess?"
"It's an Oracle Ascension coin," Noct notes, turning the coin over in his palm. "They made these to celebrate the new Oracle a few years ago."
"Wait, so who was he?" Prompto pipes up, curious.
Noct hesitates for a brief moment. "I… He's the chancellor of Niflheim." He says finally.
"What? Here?" Ignis exclaims, sounding shocked. "On the day of the treaty? Moreover, the king gave him permission to exit the capital?"
Because after all, they don't know that Ardyn Izunia can slip through the Wall. His father would have never let the chancellor out of Insomnia.
They check the harbor to make sure that what they've been told is really true— and as it turns out, the empire has blocked all ships from leaving the Altissian docks, effectively stranding them on Lucis. Then they're blackmailed into finding some ore for a reporter named Dino Ghiranze, who threatens to sell them out to the press.
"Well, it was bound to happen eventually," Ignis sighs. "We haven't exactly been subtle in hiding that you're the prince, Noct. The Regalia was a dead giveaway."
By now it's high noon, and the time of the signing is almost upon them. While Ignis drives Noct and the others to the location of the ore, Luna paces in her room. She doesn't know what's going to happen, and what frustrates her most is that she isn't able to do anything to help.
There is a clock in her room, and she watches anxiously as it ticks closer and closer to the designated time. Her hands shake, she fumbles with her dress. She thinks, please don't die. Don't let the empire succeed.
It's literal seconds before the signing, and then all of sudden, there's a sound of a scuffle outside, and she peaks through the peephole. To her horror, the two MTs guarding the door have fallen, and standing over them is a Kingsglaive.
"No," Luna whispers. "No, no, no." This can't be happening. How did they know to find her?
The Glaive finds the keys to her door and unlocks it. Before she can say anything, get out of here, it's a trap, get back to the capital, the footsteps of another Glaive running towards them can be heard, and the voice of Nyx Ulric cries out, "Pelna!"
The newly dubbed Pelna turns to him and says, "One Princess of Tenebrae, safe and—"
He doesn't get to finish his sentence. The tentacles of an Ultros suddenly reach out from around the corner and grab him, and he's strangled to death.
Nyx grabs Luna by the arm as she stares in horrified fascination at the dead man in front of her. "Come on," He says gruffly. "We've got no time to lose."
"How did you find me?" Luna demands, as she runs with him. "I was bait, you shouldn't have—"
"Shouldn't have come, yes I know. I'm starting to see that, Princess," Nyx replies testily. "Too late. The entire Glaive was deployed. After we found your coordinates and saw all the airships on our radar, of course we came."
"How did you locate me?"
"The hairpin is a tracking device," He replies easily, and Luna bites back a curse. She should have known.
The Kingsglaive are the elite fighting force of Lucis. While the Crownsguard can materialize their weapons with the help of the king, the Kingsglaive quite literally borrow the king's power, enabling them to teleport and use magic. By luring them out here, Insomnia has been robbed of its greatest weapon.
They run into more Glaives, and to Luna's never ending horror, some try to attack her. Nyx deftly disarms them and takes care of them.
"The Kingsglaive have been compromised?!" Luna gasps.
"Apparently," Nyx says, his voice hard, then in a lower tone, he mutters to himself, "Dammit, Luche…"
Luche. Luna knows that name— Luche Lazarus. In terms of rank, he's right below the captain of the Glaive, Titus Drautos. Has he betrayed the kingdom?
The Ultros is still alive, somewhere inside the ship, and Luna can see its tentacles coming after them. A loud explosion rocks the ship, and then all of a sudden everything is burning, and she is flung out onto the edge.
Nyx clasps her hand. "Climb," He hisses. She does.
It's a struggle, but eventually they reach the controls of the failing airship. The course is still set to Insomnia, and Luna can see the city in the distance. Smoke is pouring from the Citadel. It's quite clear that the attack on the city has already begun.
"The Wall," Luna breathes. "It's gone."
And the Wall is indeed gone, meaning all these airships filled with magitek are going to be able to drop directly into the city. But that means— that means—
As they get closer, Luna sees it. The Niflheim airship next to the Citadel rises, and with it, getting dragged away is—
"That's the Crystal," Nyx says in alarm, and curses.
The Crystal. The reason behind the prosperity of Insomnia. The only one left on Eos. Luna feels like she's about to throw up.
"Please, steer us to the Citadel," She begs Nyx, and he looks at her like she's crazy. "It is my duty—"
"That's a war zone, princess," He says. "Do you want to die? And don't you dare spout any bullshit about 'duty.' If you go there, there won't be any more duty for you to fulfill."
Luna screams in frustration. "Then what do you want me to say?" She demands. "Of course it's bullshit. What would make you take me there?"
"Do you have a death wish? I'm not taking you there, period. This airship probably won't even last the trip."
"I'm not afraid of dying!" Luna roars, incensed, and Nyx actually looks shocked. "And before you ask— yes, of course that was a lie, who do you think I am? But I'd rather die than live knowing that he could have still been alive, and that I didn't go to help him!"
"Who?"
And Luna's so scared and so angry and common sense has long since flown out the window, so she says, "My dad, who fucking else? Now please, just take me to the Citadel. I'll jump if I have to."
Nyx connects the dots together. "Wait, your dad's the king?"
Luna makes another indiscernible sound. "Stop wasting time and just take me there. Or, better yet, just get out of the pilot's seat."
"What, they teach you how to fly airships at the Royal Academy?" Nyx asks, his words dripping with sarcasm. But he gets out of the seat, allowing Luna to take control.
"It can't be that much different from driving a car," Luna says through gritted teeth. "I only failed my driving test twice. I'll be fine."
"Your accent is disappearing," Nyx notes, as the ship rocks up and down as Luna tries to get a handle on the controls. "I didn't know there were cars in Tenebrae."
"There aren't," Luna says. "Now stop distracting me."
Through no small amount of luck, she manages to steer the ship towards the Citadel, but she honestly has no idea how to land this thing, and Nyx doesn't look like he's in a helping mood (honestly, she wasn't expecting him to be such a smartass) so she just gets as close to it as she can, and jumps out, hoping to the Six almighty that she'll survive.
All of a sudden, someone grabs her in midair, and the momentum is enough for her to tumble onto the balcony on one of the upper floors of the Citadel.
"I was not expecting you to do that," Nyx says, getting up and brushing his pants. "Next time, give me a little warning."
"Thanks." Luna gets up as well, and starts running towards the elevators inside. She needs to get to the throne room. "I thought you weren't going to help me?"
"Do you know the Kingsglaive motto?" Nyx asks her as they get into the elevator. Everything around them is a mess— the furniture toppled, MTs patrolling the hallways. "'For hearth, and home.' If you're doing this for family, then I'll help you out."
Luna opens her mouth to say something in response, but then, the elevator doors swing open and they both freeze.
The bodies of dead Lucian council members litter the floor. The king is standing, clearly weakened, clutching the ring. General Glauca is ready to strike. Her brother (Ravus what is he doing here was he a part of this as well of course she should've known) is lying on the ground, his arm is a charred, molten mess and he's clearly in pain. Her eyes frantically scan the fallen. At the edge of the room— Clarus Amicitia— Gladio's dad he's not moving he's—
She runs to her father while Nyx throws his daggers at Glauca and keeps him distracted. She supports him while they hobble as fast as they can to the elevator. The moment they are inside Nyx warps to the elevator and her father, with his failing strength, summons the magic of the ring to temporarily incapacitate Glauca.
Ravus, she thinks distantly, as the doors close. Ravus is still in there— he will be alright, he will be alright. He is of the empire, they will take care of him. Thinking of his burning arm, she turns to her father. "My brother," She speaks in the silence in the elevator. "Did he…?"
Her father nods tiredly, blood dripping down his face. "He tried on the ring."
The Ring of Lucii. Luna feels her heart skip a beat. Ravus tried to put on the ring? Why? He knows, he must have known— the ring only grants power to those of the Lucis bloodline. It's a miracle he hadn't died.
Carefully, she puts her hands on the wound of her father's arm. A golden glow encircles the area, and the wounds begin to heal. "Are you injured?" Luna asks Nyx. "If so, I can heal it."
"Thank you, Lunafreya," Her father says to her. "But I fear healing my wounds will do little. My strength has been failing for years." And he turns to Nyx, who still hasn't said a word. "Please, Nyx Ulric. I ask you not as a king to his glaive, but as a man to another. See Lunafreya to Altissia safely." With that, he holds out the ring to Luna. "Take this to Noctis."
"You are not going to die here," Luna says forcefully. "F— King Regis, you will not die here."
"I have something to ask you," Nyx says finally. "Why did you agree to this treaty?"
Her father deflates. "It was… it was the only way I could guarantee Noctis' safety," He says. "The only way I could safely see him out the capital."
"Is that the way of our king?" Nyx demands. "Throw away the citizens of Lucis all for the sake of the his own son?"
And with a start, Luna realizes that Nyx is not from the Crown City. He is from Galahd, the very outskirts of the kingdom, and he has been fighting the empire his whole life. How cheated he must feel right now, to know that all his efforts were in vain, that his home was traded away all for some prince he's never met before.
"With Noctis holds the future," Her father says quietly. "He is the Chosen. I…" He takes a breath. "I deeply regret what I did, Nyx Ulric. But I would do it again in a heartbeat." He presses the ring into Luna's hand. "Please, follow my request."
The elevator door opens, and the king leads them through a hidden passageway that Luna recognizes— it leads to the car storage. Well aware that by now Glauca must have recovered, Nyx runs past them, urges them onward, while Luna is running close behind, hand clasping her father's, away from the magitek troops and Glauca, away from Lucis, away from Ravus and—
Her father lets go of her hand.
Luna freezes, stops, and with a strength of will she doesn't know she has, she turns around to look at King Regis, who is standing there with a bittersweet smile on his face. With a wave of his hand, a barrier forms between her and him.
"No!" Luna screams, but it is too late. She can't get past it. Nyx tugs at her arm, but she ignores it.
"Go," Her father tells her. "Live your life, Lunafreya, in however much time you have left. And in that time, know that locked doors will no longer seal your fate. I… I failed you, twelve years ago. I won't again. And I know… your mother would have wished the same."
In however much time you have left, a small part of her brain thinks, and Luna realizes that he really did know of the covenant. "No," She sobs. "I won't leave you behind."
But her father ignores her words, and says to Nyx, "Go now. Our future lies with you, Nyx Ulric."
Nyx gives a minute nod and wrenches her away. Luna bites him.
And it's in that moment General Glauca comes raining down, and his father turns to face him. (The winner of the fight is obvious. His father is unarmed, unable to form his Armiger and bereft of the ring.)
"The King of Lucis, who hoarded tranquility within his Wall. " Glauca intones. "Where is the peace now?"
Desperately, Luna breaks free of Nyx's grip and claws at the barrier.
When Luna is four years old, she stares up at him with wide eyes, wishing desperately to say "I love you" back to him, because she does, she really does, but Noctis' mouth refuses to cooperate. Instead, the babble of a baby washes out, and her father merely smiles at her.
When Luna is twelve years old, Luna thinks, I love you, but once again her father cannot hear the words.
"I love you," Luna blurts out, and she rids herself of her Tenebrae accent and all her manners and poise. "Dad, I love you."
Her father whirls around, and it's in that moment Luna knows that he knows, he knows she's Noct and they are one and the same, but instead of shock, or surprise or happiness or even a bitter sorrow, Glauca stabs her father through the chest and Luna can only see horror in his eyes.
And then it is over, and Luna allows herself to be dragged away by Nyx. He practically carries her to the car, places her in the passenger seat, and Luna only remembers how to breathe once they're shooting off onto the highway, on their way out of Insomnia.
Just… breathe for now, Luna thinks, as she wipes the tears and snot off her face. Know that you're alive, and that you have to stay alive. Everything else can come later. Don't think about it. Don't think about.
The airships are immediately upon them, and even with the help of the Guard, Nyx and Luna can't completely shake them off their tail, so they end up ditching the car after a series of crashes, leaving the smoking vehicle to burn. Luna can both see and hear the daemons the empire has released into the city, and she hopes that the civilians have been evacuated already.
Eventually, Nyx and Luna find themselves in an abandoned office building, and they crouch beneath the windows to stop and take a breath.
After a long silence, Nyx says, "So, the empire wanted you to marry your brother?"
Luna actually chokes on nothing. "What? No," She protests, and then she realizes that Nyx must think she and Noct are siblings. "It's… very complicated," She finally says, trying to be as vague yet still truthful as she can. "Complicated and very, very confidential. I'm not related by blood, you see." She fingers the ring that fa— King Regis gave her.
"What is the deal with the ring anyways?" Nyx asks her. "Is it some sort of superpowered ancient magic?"
"Basically," Luna agrees. "It holds the key to controlling the Crystal as well. But only those of the Caelum bloodline can be its wearer."
"So that guy earlier, your brother," Nyx says. "He tried it on?"
"Ravus, he…" Luna bites her lip. "I don't know what he was thinking," She says finally, and more sadly, "I never know what he's thinking anymore."
Nyx, sensing that it's a sensitive subject, switches topics. "So the empire, they're definitely going to be after us for the ring, right?"
"Yes. We need to get out of the city as soon as possible—" She's interrupted by the shattering of windows as hundreds of daemons swarm in.
"Fuck!" Nyx exclaims, and they can do nothing but run, because the Kingsglaive depend on the king for magic, and the king is—
"How do they keep finding us?" Luna yells, and then immediately answers her own question. The hairpin. The stupid, stupid hairpin she's foolishly kept with her the whole time, even though Nyx told her a Glaive operative was going to give it to her, and she knew that the Kingsglaive have been compromised. "Fuck!" She yells, echoing Nyx, and throws it out the window.
They manage to lose them, but Nyx breaks his leg. Luna heals it for him, and he chuckles weakly. "Guess I owe you one, Princess."
"Think of it as payment for getting me into the Citadel." Luna responds.
It's at that moment that a tinny voice speaks out of Nyx's earpiece, and Luna can't quite catch the words, but Nyx listens with rapt attention and says, "Your timing's impeccable, captain."
The Captain? Captain Drautos? With that, Luna can feel her heart lighten just an inch, because Drautos is a capable general in war, and maybe with his assistance they can flee Insomnia safely.
"He's says we'll meet at section D. Come on."
They're running to the area, all the streets deserted and silent except for the screams of the daemons in the night, and Nyx speaks up. "You remind me of my little sister," He says to Luna. "She was a spitfire, like you."
"Thank you," Luna says dryly. "What happened to her?"
"The empire." Nyx says bleakly. "I couldn't save her then. I was powerless, like I am now."
The conversation reaches a swift end when they reach the plaza, and Nyx calls out, "Ulric, reporting in! I have the Princess and the ring!"
At first, there's nothing, and then the sound of something flying through the air cuts through and Nyx gasps, crumples to the ground like he's in pain. "Go! Run!" He hisses at her.
"I'm not leaving you behind!" Luna protests, and Nyx pushes her away forcefully. "I can heal you!"
"I can't believe you're stilling moving with that hollow-point inside of you, Ulric. Crowe died almost instantly, you know." A voice behind them comments, and Luche Lazarus steps out from the shadows. "Try to heal him, Princess, and I'll make him die so quickly there won't be anyone left to save. Now, be a good girl and hand over the ring."
"Shut up," Luna spits out, but she's frozen with indecision. She can't— won't let Nyx die here. But she can't hand over the ring. What does she do?
The sound of footsteps come, and she looks up to see Captain Drautos, and both she and Nyx exclaim in relief. But then, something's wrong, Luna thinks, because Drautos looks for too calm, and he—
"Nyx!" A voice yells, and a car comes skidding into the plaza, plowing straight into Drautos. Only Drautos isn't crushed, and the vehicle tumbles to its side with a force that shouldn't be humanly possible.
"You gotta be kidding me," Nyx croaks out, and Luche laughs, because where Drautos was once standing is General Glauca in his full body armor.
(The same Drautos that Noct once trained with, the one who has always been loyal to f— to the king, he was a traitor all along? Why? Why why it doesn't make any sense he killed her pare— killed the Queen of Tenebrae and now he's killed the King of Lucis but why)
"It is over, Princess," Glauca says to her. "The daemons have been unleashed. Insomnia has fallen. Give us the ring."
Shaking, Luna takes out the ring.
They think she has two options. She can either peacefully hand it over, and the odds of them being killed afterwards are just as much as them being spared. Or, she can try to run. She will never be able to outrun them, Nyx will die, and they will kill her and get the ring.
Luna holds the ring out.
But they don't know there's another choice. It is risky. Even with it, she can't fight. Her body isn't trained. And Luna is a backup for Noct, his replacement if he dies. He isn't dead yet though, and she can't help but think of the mess of an arm her brother was clutching. She does not know whether the ring will acknowledge her. But she knows she is Noct, and Noct is the rightful wearer of the Ring of Lucii.
Luna puts the ring on, and—
Luna tries to put the ring on, and immediately Nyx snatches it out of her grip, and Luche and Glauca prepare to strike, and Nyx smiles at her grimly, because he thinks that Luna is not of the Lucis bloodline and she is trying to sacrifice herself, and he says, "You're not the hero around here, princess," And he slips the ring onto his finger.
(It won't be until hours later, when she meets up with Gentiana, and she asks, hesitantly, voice cracking, if she knows what happened to Nyx Ulric of the Glaive.
"He made a deal with the Lucii, the Lucian kings of old," Gentiana will say. "He was granted the power of kings until daybreak, in exchange for a life: his own."
"Oh," Luna will say in return, and she will clutch the ring in her hands.)
But for now, in a split second, the king's magic explodes, Luche and Glauca are thrown back, and Nyx stands, his body crackling with blue magic. The man that was driving the van runs over to them and Nyx introduces him as Libertus Ostium, then returns the ring to her. "He'll take you out of the capital while I deal with these two," He tells Luna, gesturing at Luche and Glauca.
And Luna has only known Nyx for a precious few hours, but she's seen that he's a man with a dead sister that still has a lot to live for, that he loves his home and there's still things he must want to do, so she asks him, "I will see you again, won't I?"
"Of course," He lies, and that is the last thing he ever says to her.
Also, guess who finished chapter 13 yesterday! Once that's published, I'll have finally caught up to where I am on AO3. Starting from then, updates will happen on both sites at the same time (if you didn't know, all completed chapters were posted on the other site hella long ago) and they will be irregular, honestly just depending on when I finish writing. Author's notes will start being a regular thing for the last few chapters too, and they'll be the same ones on both sites.