Previously in Chapter 3:
The room was decorated with lily flowers and carnation, with such a beautiful lighting came from the chandeliers. The great Leviathan sculpture adorns the whole hall. It was perfect. Many aristocrats came by, trying to get a good relationship with King Regis. It was his birthday anyway, he must be in a perfect mood. The word "Cheers for the King" echoed in the whole room before the party goes on.
"We're being followed by." Cloud gives a serious look.
Just when they're headed to the stair, a loud crash was heard followed by a violent shake, making both Cloud and Noctis must hold on to the nearest pillar. The whole crowd screamed. The atmosphere was so intense, Noctis felt numb, he can't even move a single muscle. Then, under the moonlight, a huge grey scales were seen, going up from the water, before roaring. It was a Leviathan.
"You can't kill that Leviathan! We really need it for our military defense!" Cor shout.
"What? And you want to kill the entire guest here as well as the King to protect a monster in its rampage?" Noctis snapped back.
The monster's was only a few meters left before a knife pierced to the Leviathan's flesh.
The Leviathan was ready to charge Ignis, but suddenly it let out a howl before it felt to the water, sending huge waves and splashed to the surroundings.
"The first time we arrived here, right after the accident. Everyone here was dead." Ignis said, looking at other direction. Noctis clenched his fist upon the realization. Someone had arranged this.
Noctis hissed, "Any clue who did that?" Noctis tried his best to maintain his composure.
"Whoever it was, the culprit is trained and clever." Lightning said. "The first time we got here, every guard was knocked out. At the first glance it really looks like a Leviathan's rampage, until we found this. Looks like the culprit dropped it." Lightning put something on the table, a small fiber glass bottle. Noctis took the bottle and examine it, he noticed there was a strange light purple liquid leftover on the bottom of the bottle.
"Poison?" Noctis asked.
"Anesthetic." Ignis fixed his glasses.
"What?" Noctis disbelieved.
"With that color I strongly believed it was Leviathan's anesthetic, and after some research, it matched my hypothesis." Lightning said.
"The dosage is definitely too high for human to take. Shit, a troublesome one, eh?" Noctis hissed.
"And a careful one. No evidence was left so far." Lightning took the bottle from Noctis.
"You might love to see this, Noct." Lightning said, headed to the back door of observation room. "Come with me, the anesthetic still work for a few moments." Lightning walked through the stair towards the sleeping Leviathan followed by Noctis and Ignis. Then, she kneeled in front of the Leviathan's back, pointing at a spot.
"The scale was detached." Noctis said, examining the Leviathan's back. "And a small hole there, an injection?" Noctis looked at Lightning.
"One more thing." Lightning said, standing up and walked to the back of the beast's ears. "You have to check this out."
Noctis bent his body and saw a symbol on the back of the Leviathan's ear. It was the royal symbol. He froze.
"It's your Leviathan, Noct." Ignis said. Noctis was furious, his eyes turned to crimson. The culprit is mocking him, using his Leviathan to destroy his city. He greeted his teeth.
"Get up, Noct. Let's get back to the observation room." Ignis tapped his shoulder. Once they were on the observation room, Noctis punched the table, producing a loud voice.
"Who the hell dare to do this?" Noctis roared.
"Cool down, Noct. The next fact could be worst." Lightning said.
"What else can make it worse?" Noctis growled.
"The culprit knew the access to our Leviathan cage, not to mention he even knew where we keep the anesthetic." Lightning said.
"Moreover, our guards were not that stupid to let random people to enter that area." Ignis said.
"Which means it was done by people inside Lucis." Noctis growled. "Someone from us." He added, gripping his head. This was way too much.
"Or someone close to us." Lightning said. Noctis turned his face to see Lightning's. "What do you mean?" He asked.
"I'll say it clearly. I suspected someone. The one who is close to us, yet came late on the party." Lightning crossed her arms.
"You mean Cloud? No way! He's my cousin." Noctis growled.
"Nothing impossible, Noct. She got a point anyway. It needed about 20 minutes for someone who is experienced to prepare everything. Just about the time Cloud came late." Ignis said.
"So that's why you didn't explain this right away? Because you are suspecting Cloud? Light, he helped us to tackle down that Leviathan!" Noctis roared, it was way too much. He was drained, both physically and mentally. He refused to believe that Cloud might be the one who did this.
"I'm not saying that he is the doer, but I'm not saying that he is innocent either." Lightning said. "I also am suspecting Gladiolus." Lightning said, leaning to the wall.
"That's enough Light. Gladiolus protected me. There's no way he could do that." Noctis growled.
"I only believe in evidence and alibi, Noct. For now, both Cloud and Gladiolus, and even Tifa don't have any alibi. They were gone for that time. Before their alibi is confirmed, I'll keep my eyes on them." She said. "For now, I let Serah, the King and the Queen slept in GC center. I want to keep them away from where Cloud and Glad sleep." Lightning finished her explanation.
Noctis groaned, "Okay, okay. I'm sorry I'm just tired." Noctis pinched his nose bridge. "Now what? Anything I can do to help?" Noctis asked.
"I would like to have the list of the guests that came today, as well as the list of the guests who didn't came even they have been invited." Lightning said.
"All of that data is in my laptop." Noctis said.
"I already bring it here. All of your laptop, mine, Serah's, the King and the Queens'." Lightning said, she walked to a pile of briefcase and took a black briefcase. "This one?" Lightning asked Noctis.
"Yeah, that one. What else have you got?" Noctis asked while turning on the laptop.
"We're still undergoing the autopsy for the deceased guards, I have tried to examine the surveillance cameras, they're all broken except one camera but it's soaked, so it will take time." Ignis sighed.
"And we also tried to identify what's being injected to the Leviathan's body, but, the blood is also mixed with the anesthetic. To put it simply, we have to wait for that." Lightning said. "How was the Ballroom? Any trace or something?" Lightning asked.
"I have cleaned it up, searched everything, there was nothing but ruin." Noctis ruffled his hair. "We put the ruin in a rural place in Accordo, it's guarded. If you want to check it again, we are still able to do that." Noctis added.
"And the media?" Lightning asked.
"We're having a tough time dealing with those troublesome media. I said it's merely because a virus attacked the system, no further information for now." Noctis sighed.
"I'll grab some coffee." Ignis stood up from his seat.
"No, it's okay. Get some rest Ignis." Lightning said. Ignis raised his eyebrows. "We'll be done soon." Lightning reassured him.
Ignis sighed, "Okay, just remember everyone need some rest, we still have a lot of things to do tomorrow. I'll take my leave now. I'll see you in a few hours." Ignis said. With that, he walked through the door, leaving the Prince and Princess alone.
"Here, the list of the guests." Noctis moved his laptop so Lightning could see the screen.
"Any idea who came late?" Lightning asked.
"Aside from Cloud and Tifa, I don't know. But those who didn't show up at the party, we've some fishy names here." Noctis scrolled the page and pointed a group of names.
"Those three silver princes of Forgotten City." Lightning read. "They never come."
"Yeah, for the last decade after Midgar get the joint military forces with us. Those three maniacs take Cloud as their rival." Noctis shook his head.
"Then, we've got Lord Caius Ballad of Valhalla, and Genesis from Junon. Those were quite suspicious." He said. "You forget to mention Vincent." Lightning added.
"I knew one more person who came late." Lightning said, receiving a questioning look from Noctis.
"Cid Raines of Gran Pulse." Lightning rolled her eyes. Noctis couldn't help but chuckled at her statement.
"Cid Raines? Your number one fan?" He snickered.
"Yeah, somehow I bumped to him when Serah dragged me around, and he was just arrived that time." Lightning groaned.
"Okay, I note that." Noctis was still amused. He remembered clearly when Cid tried to ask Lihgtning for a dance in previous parties and Lightning always came back to him with a furious look.
"Oh by the way Noct, I didn't see your fair princess." Lightning teased.
"Excuse me?" Noctis grunted.
"Princess Stella Nox Fleuret of Tenebrae." Lightning said, with suppression in every syllable.
"Now that you mention that, I think Tenebrae didn't come." Noctis started to scroll on his laptop again.
"It's pretty surprising that you forget the presence of the cutie sweety lovely girl who always tailed you in every party, Noct." Lightning giggled.
"Oh, shut it. She's a hypocrite. She is just looking for the throne, Tenebrae needed it." Noctis scoffed.
"Now I've noted everyone who didn't come and those who came late." Noctis said.
"We're going to interrogate the gate guards tomorrow, and checked the surveillance cameras around the ballroom." Lightning said.
"Good then." Noctis yawned.
"Get some rest, Noct. We have spare room here. You can sleep beside Ignis' room." Lightning said.
"And what about you?" Noctis asked.
"There are some things I need to finish." Lightning said.
"Light, stop it." Noctis frowned. Lightning raised her eyebrows.
"Stop trying to solve everything by your own, stop burdening everything on your shoulder, stop being strong because you think it's your duty. For once, please." Noctis said, looking directly to her pale aqua eyes that widened.
"I've got your back. We've got your back. When we have trouble, we share it together. Not just by yourself." Noctis said, he deeply understand that Lightning always want to protect others that she worked harder and harder, pushing her limits. But that's too much.
"Get some rest, please. If you don't go get some rest, so do I." Noctis sit back on his chair.
"Sometimes you are just as impossible as Serah." Lightning sighed. With that, Noctis grinned, he knew he win this argument or maybe Lightning was just as tired as him. He quickly turned off his laptop and put it in his briefcase, before taking Lightning by her arms and dragged her. Sometimes it amused her, how Noctis act childishly but in the same time he acted as a good protective brother. Even if Lightning always wanted to be stronger to protect others, she couldn't help but like it when Noctis took care of her.
"Good night, Noct. Thank you. Get a rest." Lightning said as they arrived in front of a spare room.
"What do you mean?" Noctis ask.
"Well, that should be my line. I'm just saying parting words I guess." Lightning furrowed her eyebrows.
"Parting words? Oh you can't fool me this time, Light. The last time I left you in front of your room when you said 'There are some things I need to finish.' You will work on it inside your room." Noctis rolled his eyes.
"Tonight, I will keep an eye on you, and yes, we will share the same room. Try to work on your 'business' and I'll shoot you some anesthetic." Noctis opened the door and signaling her to come in. Lightning was left agape.
"You are unbelievable, Noctis Lucis Caelum." Lightning said, she was slightly annoyed but she was also amused by his act.
"Get in, Princess." Noctis said, sounds more like an order. Lightning pretend to sigh in defeat, she still planned to do her work when he's sleeping though.
"Oh, by the way Light, you will take that bed, away from the desk. I'm occupying this bed." Noctis pointed at a bed right beside the desk.
"And, I knew typical Lightning always had…" Noctis opened every drawer in the desk and exactly, he found laptops there as well as GPS.
"For now, I'm occupying this desk to." Noctis locked the drawers and put the keys on the pocket of his pants. Lightning groaned.
"I'll take that as a thank you." Noctis gave a sly smile. "I really am serious, Claire. You need to rest, and put off that mindset that you should be the one who take everything." Noctis looked at her eyes seriously. For once, Lightning was startled by that look. His cobalt blue eyes were deep, intimidating, yet it has a glint of warmth. Noctis then patted her head and lay down on his bed, signaling Lightning to do the same. This time Lightning sighed in defeat for real. She lay down on her bed and closed her eyes. She tried to stop thinking but then her eyes snapped open. She shift her position and looking at Noctis.
"It's not your fault." Noctis said suddenly, causing Lightning to startle a bit since she thought the young prince already asleep.
"What do you mean?" Lightning asked.
"I know what you think this whole time." Noctis shifted his body to face Lightning.
"Joining the army, trained as hard as possible, be stronger and stronger, even gaining that nickname –Lightning-. I knew it very well. You always take the burden to your own shoulder." Noctis took a breath. "It's not your fault, the death of your parent. Stop feeling responsible for that, it's just too much." Noctis said.
"What do you know about me, Noct? You're just sitting on your resident that time while I'm there, watched my parents dying. You know nothing! You don't understand! It's my fault. And I don't have any chance to fix it!" Lightning stood up from her bed.
"The blame is not yours. There's nothing to be fixed! The culprit is the one who's responsible." Noctis stood up from his bed too, he walked closer to Lightning.
"For once, Claire, I beg you. If you want to protect others, it's okay. But stop blaming yourself. Stop taking every burden on your own. Can't you just believe in me? Believe in us? Your new family? Or your new friends?" Noctis looked straightly to her eyes.
Lightning didn't expect that Noctis knew it all. It's like, she's being read this whole time. But still, she believed it's because of her their parents died.
"I know I don't understand what you felt back then. I don't know, I'm not there. I'm not the one who see my own parents died. But even if so, Claire, I know one thing that's certain." Noctis said, looking at the window, straight to the stars on the sky.
"The one who is wrong is those who made the monsters go in rampage. And no matter who did that, that person should be caught and punished." Noctis looked back to Lightning. She sighed.
"I'm sorry, Noct. Let's just sleep." Lightning massaged her temple and lay back to her bed, pulling up the blanket until her shoulder.
"I know you're a stubborn one, Claire, but one day I'll show you that it's not your fault." Noctis sat back to his bed. "And, you still got us, you still got me to protect each other. It's not your only job to protect everyone. Or did you seriously think that I'm not capable enough?" Noctis said with a slight grin on his face, trying to light up the mood.
"No you're not, Noct." Lightning chuckled. Noctis smiled upon her laugh.
"Okay, now time to have a little sleep before facing some pain on the ass tomorrow." Noctis sighed and lay down to his bed.
"Sure. Good night, Noct."
"Good night, Claire."
"Noct." Lightning called.
"Mm-hm?"
"Thank you." For once, Lightning smiled sincerely before turning her body so Noctis facing her back.
Noctis was speechless for a moment. It was the first time he saw Lightning gave him a sincere smile. He couldn't help to smile happily and closed his eyes after muttered a yes. Looks like he will get a good rest.
Well well well… There goes the fourth chapter! *throws confetti*
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and Thank you for reading.