Under Kingsglaive Training

by denebtenoh

In order to fight a terrible destiny, Lightning is trying to become a Kingsglaive and has Nyx Ulric as her instructor. With the infamous temper these two have... whatever can go wrong?

5. Peace Before her Raging Storm

UNDER KINGSGLAIVE TRAINING.

CHAPTER 5

Peace Before her Raging Storm.

ooooooooOOOOOOOOoooooooooo

"Will you go to testify?"

"Mmmh?" Nyx had been thinking about Lightning´s confession, but his friend´s words brought him back to reality. "Oh! Yeah, I should go, right? Did you testify already?"

Libertus nodded. "Yes, Crowe and I did. The police took our declaration and sent the teens to preventive prison while the whole process is held. They´re waiting for yours and Lightning´s declaration, though, especially hers."

"I think they´ll have to wait a little longer for Lightning´s, but I´ll go right now. Where is Crowe, by the way?"

"Oh! We found Lieutenant Amodar on the way over here." The tall man said, a chirpy, uncharacteristic tone in his voice. "Have you noticed how similar Serah is from Lightning? Crowe did, so she called her over, thinking she was Lightning, that´s how we met the famous 'Lieutenant Amodar'."

"Yeah, I fell for that one too." Nyx chuckled at the memory of baby blue eyes full of mirth at his expense. "Where is Crowe, though? You haven´t answered my question."

"Well, you see, the hospital has strict rules about letting children get inside, so Crowe volunteered to keep Serah company, while Amodar went to see Lightning."

Nyx chuckled again, picturing her friend happy to meet someone her age… well, make that, mental age. "I bet she did. Hey! Got an idea! Why don´t you take Crowe and Serah to Bodhum House? And bring me back an ice cream for me and Lightning, while I go and give my declaration."

"You mean the ice cream shop that´s on the other end of the city? Are you insane?" Libertus screamed in indignation. "That´s awfully far! And awfully expensive!"

"Oh! C´mon man!" Nyx threw an arm around his friend´s shoulder, trying to convince him. "Both girls are from Bodhum, I´m sure they´ll be utterly happy if they taste a piece of their homeland. Plus, I bet having the children happy will earn you a lot of points in front of Crowe, wouldn´t you think?"

Libertus growled, trying to hide his blushing cheeks. "I don´t know, man… it´s still too far."

"Even better, you´ll have a very good reason to hang out with Crowe for a long time and in her softest form, given that you´ll be both taking the little girl with you."

The man kept on cursing and growling, but Nyx knew he had won the conversation. One down, one still to go.

They approached the two girls, Crowe and Serah, and Nyx found Crowe´s newfound ability: to get along with kids. Serah and the Kingsglaive were playing with their hands, and laughing as if they were best pals already. He had seen Lightning smile already, but it was still so weird for him to see a pinkette laughing so heartedly, with such abandonment. He wished there would be a time when he could get to see Lightning laughing like that.

"Hey! I know you!" Serah broke the game the moment she noticed the two men approaching, and went to hug Nyx by the waist, her happy and trustful attitude taking the man by surprise. "You´re my sister´s coach! Is it true that you saved her? Are you her hero?"

"Emh, yeah, I got there in time to prevent her from getting more injured. But I can´t say I´m a hero."

"Did you see my sister? Is she okay?"

He smiled at her, trying to be reassuring. "She´s got a few scrapes and hurts but she´s a tough girl. I can assure you she´s okay now."

She smiled gratefully at the man, but her countenance suddenly became that of worry. "Did the mean people rape Lightning?"

"W-what?" Nyx staggered at such word coming out of such an innocent girl. "How did… who told you that?" He immediately turned to glare at Crowe, but she raised her hands in surrender.

"I swear to Etro it wasn´t me who said it!"

"Serah, who told you she was raped?"

The girl looked sheepish but didn´t relent by an inch the tight embrace she had upon Nyx. "I heard it over the phone, they told Amodar Lightning had been raped. What´s rape, Nyx?"

The three friends coughed at her questioning, and the questioned man blushed like tomato red, even at the ears.

"I´ll tell you when you´re older."

"But I want to know if my sister is going to be fine!" Since the men were not telling her, apparently too astonished to pay attention to her, the little girl turned around to ask her new friend. "Crowe, is rape equal to dying? Will I ever see my sister again?"

"No, little one, it´s not the same," The tall woman kneeled in front of the little girl, trying to be reassuring, "and Lightning wasn´t raped. She was attacked by a bunch of goons who tried to hurt her badly, but Nyx came on time before they did, and she will be fine soon enough."

The small pinkette turned around again and held the man´s waist a little bit harder, her own way of showing gratitude, and then, the moment another scary idea hit her, she looked up searching for his eyes, and scared crystal blue orbs, like the ones Nyx had seen before, demanded the truth behind his grey irises.

"Did they hit her in the face, Nyx? Does she look like a monster now?"

"A mo… what do you mean? Why do you ask that?" Her questions were getting weirder by the minute… and her embrace even more awkward too. Shouldn´t she be holding Crowe, instead?

"My sister once showed me a picture of a man who had been beaten by some mean men, and his face looked like a monster. Does she look like that now?"

In spite of himself, he smiled at the girl´s innocent concern. "No, of course not. She´s still as beautiful as ever."

Serah expelled the air she was holding, and then, after a second, she resumed her questioning. "Will I get to see her soon?"

The three looked at each other. This time it was Libertus the one to kneel in front of the girl. "I´ll tell you what, little one, let´s get you some ice cream for you and for Lightning too, and then we´ll see what we can do to sneak you in so that you get to see her. How does that sound?"

"Terrific!"

Crowe extended her hand to take Serah´s, but the petite girl wouldn´t let go of the Kingsglaive, instead, the girl took Nyx´s hand, surprising the man at the familiarity the child seemed to be feeling towards him.

"So… you saved my sister?"

Nyx looked down at the girl. It felt… odd, to have a mini version of Lightning walking beside him, all innocence and trust directed at him, but even weirder to notice how different in personality they were, even when physically they were so equal, like two drops of water.

"You could say that."

"Why?"

"What do you mean why?"

"Why did you save her?"

"Because I promised her Godfather I´d do whatever was in my power to help her."

"Are you in love with her?"

Nyx coughed at her words. "What? No! I´m certainly not! I´m not a pedophile!"

"What´s a…?"

"Look, missy," Nyx interrupted her before she finished the sentence, "I saved her because that´s my job, no other hidden motive."

"Is it your job to save pretty girls?"

He rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, part of my job is to save pretty girls."

"But you haven´t saved me."

He chuckled. "So, you consider yourself a pretty girl in need to be saved?"

"Yep. And you haven´t saved me."

"Well, I promise I´ll save you when you need me, is that okay?"

"Okay."

After a few seconds of silence, the girl giggled.

Nyx rolled his eyes again. "Now what?"

"I still think you like my sister."

He sighed, now the issue getting on his nerves. Even more so, the moment he noticed two traitorous Kingsglaives snickering at his expense. "Look, missy, your sister is cute, I´ll give you that, but I don´t like girls younger than 18-years-old; I like women my age. Period."

"Well, I think you´re gonna fall in love with my sister then, just once she grows up."

"Why in the world would you say that?"

"Because dad always says Claire looks like my mom. And my mom is the most beautiful woman in the world. If Claire gets to be like her, then you´ll fall in love with her for sure."

The three friends looked at each other again, eyes opened wide at the logic behind her words… and at the revelation. It was Nyx the one to speak up.

"Emh… Who is Claire, Serah?"

And while Libertus rolled his eyes over his best friend´s cluelessness, Crowe giggled at his expense, covering her mouth with the back of her hand.

ooooooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooo

In the end, because of Serah´s prodding, Nyx never left the group, so he went on their little field trip to the ice cream shop, the small pinkette glued to his hand as if she were the one needing to be rescued. He guessed, after the scare she just had when she heard of Lightning´s attack, the little kid needed to feel safe too, just like her sister had, so he didn´t have the heart to force her to let go of his hand. Thus, he stayed with them all the way to the shop and back.

The trio of friends returned to Lightning´s room, carrying a very happy pinkette in their wake, the one guilty for the friends to be induced into bribery and blackmail in order to get her inside the hospital. He didn´t know why but Nyx felt quite eager to see the older pinkette, more than ready to give her his trait, (well, technically, it was Libertus trait, but that was something she didn´t need to know), and the group entered Lightning´s room, after having to convince, woo and pay the nurses on call to let all of them in. Once they were inside, and being as many people as they were, Crowe used the bed´s dirty sheet and placed it on the floor, so everyone seated on it and gathered around Lightning as if it were their little picnic. To Lightning, it didn´t matter when or where they were, the older pinkette was way beyond happiness around her newfound friends and remaining family, even forcing her weariness aside at Nyx´s sudden silence. They all enjoyed the ice cream the Kingsglaives had brought to them, and even Amodar had accepted to linger and take a sip at the treat, in spite of being called back to work several times already.

They had spent a couple of hours enjoying the afternoon, telling funny stories and jokes, when the head of nurses entered the room.

"Okay, cute guy, you´ve had your chance. Now is time to go away and fly, my shift is about to be finished and I don´t want any trouble."

"Yes, ma'am!" Nyx stood up and saluted militarily, earning a blush from the nurse and a rain of laughter from his friends, and then bowed "I really appreciate you let us be here with my dear friend, who would´ve felt lost and abandoned if it weren´t for someone as kind-hearted as you."

"Hey!" Lightning protested, but Libertus slapped her arm to shush her, lest she would mess it up.

"Well, your very welcome, young man. As for you, pretty lady," the nurse this time directed her attention to Lightning, "the doctor has given his permission to release you. So, if everything goes smoothly, you´ll be out of here tomorrow morning."

"Yeeeeess!" it was Serah the one who screamed and ran to hug her sister tightly, giving her kisses on her cheeks and nose, the taller pinkette protesting but without too much animosity. But it seemed her ministrations weren´t enough to appease her. The chirpy girl immediately ran again and hopped on the bed, jumping and jumping as if she were a little rabbit, while she screamed and laughed. Lightning felt contagious, and in spite of everything that had happened, she went to copy her sister, much to the nurse´s charging. And to Nyx´s surprise.

"Girls! Stop that or I´ll have to punish you! Girls!"

Crowe stood up, trying to appease the nurse.

"Please let them be for a moment. I'll make sure they don't destroy anything. Either way, we won't stay long; we have to leave so that Lightning can rest."

"Actually, I need one of you to linger with her." The nurse said, still eyeing wearily the jumping children. "My patient shouldn´t sleep today, just as a precaution before she leaves the hospital. And I mean it, no sleep tonight."

"Oh." Crowe didn't like the idea

"What? What do you mean I can´t sleep? But I´m already sleepy!" Lightning immediately protested, all glee forgotten.

"I´m sorry, young lady. Doctor´s orders. You´re forbidden to close your eyes for 24 hours. That said, I´ll need one of you to remain and make sure she does as ordered. And by one of you, I mean you, young woman." She pointed her finger at Crowe, who moaned but understood. It wouldn´t be correct for a man who wasn´t her family to remain all night long with Lightning. And since Amodar couldn´t stay either (he had the night shift at his job)… It had to be her.

"Okay, no problem, but I´ll need some time to go and collect my stuff for the night. Can you stay Nyx?"

As expected, he immediately protested. "Why me? There´s Libertus too!"

"Who do you think will accompany her for her stuff, man? Are you going to load them on your shoulders?" Libertus snickered at his friend.

"It´s only one night, for Etro´s sake! How much can she bring?"

"Oh, my man, you really don´t know girls, do you?"

Crowe eyed him. "Fine then, you´ll get to sleep with Lightning or with Serah, is that better?"

"No! Psh… fine. I´ll stay." Nyx finally relented.

"What about me?" Serah yelled at them.

"I think we´ll have to take you back here once again… without them noticing, of course, so you just remain silent. But for the moment, just come with me, alright?"

"Alright!"

The trio left, and Nyx took his seat once more in front of Lightning. This time, though, the silence was heavy, and she didn´t know why.

"Is… is something the matter, Nyx? If you want to, you can leave, I really don´t need you to stay with me. I´m old enough, you know?"

He smirked at that, and as a memory hit him, looked at her with mirth in his eyes.

"What now?" He remained silent, but his smirk grew wider. "You´re freaking me out, Nyx, why are you looking at me like that?"

"So… Claire, uh?"

Her porcelain skin turned deep red at his words. "Who told you? Was it Amodar?"

"I hope you don´t retaliate, but I´m not telling you anyway."

Her eyes opened wide at his words, immediately understanding the truth behind them. "Oh, my dear Etro! It was Serah, right?! I´ve told her a thousand times that´s not my name anymore!"

"You can´t be mad at her. She´s just a girl. Besides, I think Claire is a pretty name. I really don´t know why would you change it."

"Long story. But before you get any funny ideas, let me warn you: you really cannot use that name on a dog. I totally forbid it. Or any other form of misusing."

"You can´t forbid me anything." Nyx glared at her.

"Yeah, I can, I´ll go to a lawyer and make you regret it in case you do."

He chuckled at her antics but didn´t retaliate. His silence and overall lack of his usually animated response were getting on her nerves.

"There´s something the matter with you. Besides the name you just found out, of course. Spit it out already. You´re making me nervous."

He sighed, as he felt a heavy load upon his shoulders. "Yeah… there is something, I… I want to confess."

"Confess? Like what?"

He sighed again, trying to collect his wits. "In a sense… it was my fault."

"What was your fault?"

"What happened to you."

"Which one of the things I told you?"

He hesitated. "All of it."

A delicate eyebrow rose, a movement that sent a chill down Nyx´s back.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I…" he rubbed the back of his neck, not sure how to start. "You see, I… didn´t train you guys properly because, well… I was angry with Drautos. I had been coaching the previous year, won the best coach´s award, so to speak, and the best coach of each year always gets an Over-the-Seas training at Bodhum, in the Navy Guardian Corps, their SEAL´s division, one of the hardest and most amazing training programs ever created in Eos. But Drautos decided to give it to Pelna, who is his favorite, and I… well… I got so mad, I really didn´t want to make the effort again. It was useless, anyway. So, I kinda tried to punish him by being the worst coach ever."

The pillow hit him straight on the face, and so hard, that it left him seeing stars.

"What the…?"

"I had to resource to street training, and had my ass handed to me a couple of times because my sensei was throwing a tantrum?!"

"Hey! It wasn´t a tantrum! It was…"

"A tantrum, Nyx Ulric! That was a freaking tantrum!"

He glared at her and was about to retaliate when something inside his head, like a bulb, seemed to turn on. A big 'O' formed in his mouth. He lowered his eyes, knowing full well he didn´t deserve to look at her. It had indeed been his fault, after all, that she almost got raped.

"I´m sorry, Light, I… I don´t know what to say, nor how to repay you what you´ve been through because of me. I´m truly sorry."

He looked up, wanting to meet her eyes and apologize some more when a sudden sound startled him. Lightning was laughing, and so hard, that she was clutching her belly.

"What are you laughing at, Sparks?"

"At you… of course!"

"Well, stop doing it! It´s not funny."

"Yes… yes, it is! Seriously! How old are you?"

"I´m a lot older than you! Thank you very much!" He crossed his arms over his chest, now feeling offended.

"In between you and me, I think you are the teenager."

Her last statement made him feel surprised and ashamed, but he knew she had all the right to call him all the names she wanted to. The hilarity in her face, though, let him mend his soul.

"You´re a good dog, anyways," she finally recovered, "so don´t fret, I forgive you, but only if you promise me you´ll train me for sure."

He stood up and put his hand over his chest, mockingly taking an oath. "I promise you I´ll make you the best Kingsglaive there´s ever been. After me, of course."

She smiled at him, pleased at his response.

A minute of silence, and then.

"Wait! Dog? What do you mean? Why would you call me like that?"

She smirked at his antics, completely full of herself. "Well, I might as well buy a dog, give it your ridiculous haircut, and call it Nyx. I think it´ll be a cute dog. And I´m sure it will be more handsome than you."

She laughed at the face he made, but he couldn´t remain angry with her for too long. Her laughter was contagious and made his heart inflamed with glee.

oooooOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooo

The next day Nyx woke up and readied himself a lot earlier than he usually did. He had promised Lightning he´d go pay a visit before they released her, and before he went to the training grounds, in case they released her early and she could accompany him to the training session, even if she couldn´t participate. She´d be the Coach´s pet for the day. The name didn´t play good with Lightning, but she still loved the idea of going to see her peers, instead of staying alone at her house, so she didn´t complain too much, especially when he had promised also he would accompany her to testify since he had to go himself too. She had confessed him she didn´t want to go on her own, nervous to tell her story to a bunch of strangers. Obviously, he had volunteered to be her support. So, Nyx was ready for his day earlier than he had ever been in his life, bought a can of soda (he didn´t think Lightning would appreciate flowers at all) and entered the hospital wings, smiling and whistling as if it was the best day of his life…

Until he found himself face to face with someone quite familiar, blocking his path to the girl´s room.

Gentiana, the High Messenger of the Oracle of Tenebrae, in all her black and white elegant magnificence, stood silently in front of the door, her eyes remaining closed as ever, but her overall stance giving him the sense that she knew of his presence.

"Gentiana?"

She smiled, but only barely.

"Nice to be in your presence again, my dear Nyx Ulric."

He ignored her comment, and the apparent sarcasm behind it; instead, his eyes were glued at the closed door right behind her frame, because Nyx knew the meaning of the Messenger´s presence.

It meant Princess Lunafreya Nox Fleuret was right behind that door.

Inside Lightning´s room.

Against his wishes, his heart skipped a beat at the thought.

Nyx approached the tall woman, looking intently through the window of the room, and found Lightning talking to someone hidden from his sight. Or rather, someone talking to her, since the teen had her whole focus on the person, her eyes opened wide in surprise and… fear? Awe? Disbelief? Negation? This time, he couldn´t read her countenance, at least not as well as he had done a few hours ago.

"Gentiana? What´s going on? Who sent you here?"

"King Regis himself told us where to find you both. So here we are."

He exhaled, his heart jumping inside his chest at the implications of the woman´s presence in the hospital. "Is… is she…?"

"Yes, Nyx Ulric, the Princess is in there, inside that very room. But you cannot pass."

"What? Why?" He felt angry at her retort. "For your information, that´s my pupil inside, so I´m entitled to know. What is the Princess doing there? And with Lightning?"

"That is something I cannot discuss with you. And I hope I don´t need to remind you we´re in a hospital, so you should lower your voice."

"I´m not lowering my voice, I want to know what´s going on."

"As I said before, I will not tell you anything, nor will I let you inside."

"You and I know very well the Princess will tell me anyway. I want to see the Princess."

The High Messenger smirked but remained unmoved. "Yes, you and I know she will. It is still not in my power to tell you, nor to let you in. You will have to wait once Her Highness is finished."

He was about to retort, but the door suddenly opened, the Crown Princess of Tenebrae and Princess of Lucis, the beautiful Lunafreya Nox Fleuret, came out of the room.

"Your Highness."

At the look of her, Nyx kneeled immediately. She smiled and went towards Nyx, who straightened once she was a few steps from him.

"Please, don´t be mad. I know she´s your pupil, Nyx Ulric. But fret not. I´m only here for her benefit."

Nyx gave a step forward, trying with all his might to read the woman´s eyes. And to drink in her features, knowing she would stand in front of him but for mere seconds. He hesitated a moment, feeling himself losing his mind in the pool of her deep blue irises, and then, finally, he found his voice again.

"Your Highness, if I might be too rude to ask, what are you doing here? What do you mean by Lightning´s benefit?"

She smiled sweetly, her eyes scanning intently his face, and she gave a step towards him, her body feeling already his warmth; without her consent, her hand moved on its own accord, finding his wrist. The feeling of his skin under her fingertips created a gravitational force that pulled her towards him, and she did as if to give another step in his direction. But Gentiana moved behind her, and the sound of the High Messenger´s clothes brushing, were enough to bring the Princess into self-awareness; she sighed, blushing, and closed her eyes to reign over her emotions. With all the will she could muster, Luna finally gave a step backward. But her hand refused to let go of his wrist.

"Princess?"

Nyx´s voice was soft, almost a whisper, their closeness allowing him to be almost intimate in his pleading. He raised his hand, an attempt to touch her cheek. Nyx wanted so much to ease the evident pain the beautiful Princess was in, seemed to always be in, but an inch from her skin he suddenly stopped at noticing her shaking her head, the movement making him come to his senses; he clenched his hand in a fist and dropped it to his side. Her touch was way out of his reach, he berated himself; it would be smart for him to always remember so. But her fingers on his wrist burned like a flame, making his heart run a hundred miles per hour.

She shook her head, her eyes finally open but fixed on the floor, not realizing how close he had been to caress her; her eyes finally looked up, tracing his body upwards. His well-formed, perfect body. The blonde cursed inwardly for the action. Looking so closely at his physique made her detachment even harder to pretend.

"Tell, me please, My Princess," he pleaded again, his voice creating butterflies in the woman´s stomach, "what is it that brought you here with my pupil?"

Luna finally collected her wits and looked all the way up, finding his eyes, and felt the pull of his gray irises. She wanted so much to give the step forward… so much to look down into his lips… and noticed, with a certain satisfaction, his cheeks became pink, as a blush crept up his face. Evidence that he was feeling the same way as her. The heat between them became unbearable, and her body prompted her to action. She gave the step, but instead of meeting his lips, she walked beside him, past him, her fingers still attached to his skin, but now just by a small brush, while her sight was stubbornly fixed on the white wall in front of her, her eyes so full of sadness, she didn´t want him to see.

She knew his eyes were a mirror of her own.

"I…" The blonde sighed, trying to collect her resolve. "That is, my husband and I are going on a year-long trip all around Eos." The moment the words left her mouth, Luna felt a painful sting in her chest, doing her best not to wince at the feeling. But Nyx winced at her words for the both of them. "We are going to collect supporters to our kingdom, and to help those innocent victims of the war. We´ll be gone for a year, return for a couple of months and go again. The plan is to be away for four years, hoping it will help us keep the peace and freedom in Eos."

"That´s a very dangerous trip, my Princess. You and your… husband… you and Prince Noctis will need protection. I can go with you." He gave a step towards her, all too eager to volunteer, but she gave a step backwards, away from him, and shook her head.

"No. The Crownsguard and Noctis´s best friends will be with us. You don´t need to worry. And anyway, you´ll be on your journey towards Bodhum."

"What? How do you know…?"

She smiled. It was pleasant to see the surprise in his eyes. "Someone who cares about you shared with me about your request, or more precisely, of your failed request, and I… I asked his Majesty as a personal favor, to grant you the opportunity to go. He obviously said yes. You´ll have to pack your personal belongings soon. The training program is due to start in a week."

Nyx didn´t know what to say. He knew he should be happy; it was the one thing he wanted, and thankful for Luna´s intervention… Involuntarily, he looked up and saw, through the room's window, Lightning´s eyes fixed on his form, an unreadable expression on her countenance. Did she know of this? Had she agreed already? But he had made her a promise and didn´t matter how much it would cost him. He wouldn´t let her down again.

"I can´t leave her. My pupil… I promised I´d train her, and I´m a man of honor."

Luna smiled; she had always known Nyx had a sweet and tender part of him. One of the many things she liked of him.

"You shouldn´t worry; your pupil, Lightning, will come with us, she will become a part of the Crownsguard. You need not worry about her education anymore."

"What?" He felt shocked at the revelation. "You can´t be serious, Luna! She´s not a Kingsglaive yet! Light just started the training program, she´s too young to be part of the Crownsguard!"

"She´s too young to be a Kingsglaive too, Nyx, and yet, here she is. And I´ve read the reports that she´s one of the best in your class. Trust her she´ll prevail."

He finally gave the step forward, took one of her hands on both of his, and brought her knuckles to his lips, ignoring the stormy effect the action had on her body.

"Let me go with you, Princess, I can protect you and train her. I can do both. Please, let me go…" But he couldn´t finish his sentence, since his wrist, the one not held by the Princess suddenly ached profusely, and he turned to see it entrapped by powerful, icy fingers. The moment he looked at the owner of the hand, found a very mad Gentiana, whose face was close to his.

"Let Her Highness go, Nyx Ulric, or I swear you´ll lose that hand." She murmured her threat so that only they could hear it.

As if coming to his senses, Nyx let go of Luna´s hand, his eyes still fixed on the olive green of the Messenger, who wasn´t still done with him.

"Kneel in front of royalty, Kingsglaive, you should always know your place."

"Gentiana! Stop!"

Nyx looked at Luna, whose eyes were fixed pleadingly on her friend, but then took a good look at Gentiana, and finally understood what he had done. He sighed heavily and kneeled in front of Lunafreya, his hand over his heart.

"My Princess, Your Highness, I´m really sorry for trespassing my boundaries and offending you."

"You didn´t offend me, Nyx." Her heart aching at seeing him like that, she was about to kneel in front of him, to accompany him, but Gentiana took her by the wrist, and once blue eyes met green, the Messenger shook her head.

"It´s time for us to leave, your Highness. The King and his son, your husband, await."

The last words were like a hit directly to her gut. To her heart. Lunafreya looked down to see the kneeled man, and held her breath, least a sob escaped her lips. She straightened her posture and sighed, gathering her courage once more, getting inside her Oracle´s skin.

"Your pupil, Lightning, is a Child of Destiny, Nyx."

His mind came to a sudden halt, and his eyes opened wide at her confession. "What? What do you mean?"

In spite of Gentiana´s threat, he stood up to face the blonde and found crystal blue eyes looking intently at him, all longing and pain gone, absolute seriousness embedded in them. And the strength of the Oracle shining behind them.

"She´s a Child of Destiny. I saw her, Nyx. She was right there, with me, in my last Vision of the Future to Come." As so where you. But she couldn´t find the strength to say out loud those last words. The vision still hurt her heart.

He was speechless, and his hesitation allowed the Princess of Tenebrae to turn around and leave him there, rooted to his spot. He tried to raise his hand, to take hers once again, but again, Gentiana stood in front of him.

"I don´t like you, Nyx Ulric. You´re a good man, I´m well aware, but I don´t like you, because you had the world at your feet, and you were stupid enough not to see it."

"What? What do you mean?"

Gentiana turned to leave, but at the last moment, she pierced him with her glare.

"The moment you saved the Princess's life, she gave you her heart, but you never took notice, or were never brave enough to take her hand. She was yours at that moment, and yet you were too coward to do anything. Now she´s out of your reach, a married woman, the wife of your future king. You should never forget that." She came even closer, her glare hardening. "But what makes me loathe you most, is that I still see hurt in her eyes whenever she sees you because she´s not over you just yet. But you well know where her duty lays, as so does she. So, stay away from her. Because the only thing you do for her now, is making her cry."

"I… I didn´t know, Gentiana… I never imagined… How could I know that she felt something like that… for someone so unworthy like me?"

She smiled sadly at him.

"Well, now I know which one of the two possibilities were. As I´ve told you, she´s out of your reach now, your blindness made you lose someone who loved you. Let´s hope you don´t make the same mistake twice." She looked intently behind his back, finding baby blue eyes staring directly at them. The tall woman nodded and walked away, leaving in her wake a couple of astonished people. And a Kingsglaive with a broken heart.

Meanwhile, inside the room, Crowe was sitting silently, her eyes downcast, knowing how her best friend must be feeling at the moment, after a revelation like that, while Lightning was intently looking through the window, the one that allowed her to see towards the corridor, her eyes fixed on Nyx´s back, her mind reproducing over and over the Princess and the Kingsglaive's almost intimate exchange. She didn´t understand why, but suddenly a feeling of pressure had appeared over her chest, so tight, that felt almost as if chocking her; her body refused to move, as her eyes were fixed on the man´s slouched form, but her mind kept on seeing the memory of the blonde´s hand placed tenderly over the man´s wrists. She wanted to scoff, to rest importance to the matter, but her voice refused to obey, and only vocalized one word.

"N-Nyx…?"

ooooooOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooo

A/N: Short, or at least shorter than the last, but I´m soooo wishing to get these ideas off of my head! So I had to write them down soon, or else they would make my brain explode! (plus, they didn´t let me study, so…) and it´s all your fault, Andy Farron. Your presence in my life has sparked my inspiration like a flame! How do you do that? Guess it´s just too much fun to talk to you about it?

As you might´ve already noticed, we are in the brick of taking our long time-jump. Lightning will go train with the Crownsguard (I love the idea of her meeting Noctis and his gang!) while Nyx goes to train to Lightning´s homeland. What will happen after they reencounter!? OMG! What will Nyx say the moment he gets to see a grown-up Lightning? (We already know how beautiful she gets to be, so at least THAT won´t be a surprise, hehe)

Hope you´re still liking the story.