The thundering sound reached them, yet the two seemed to ignore it as the sky above them began to crack.

He placed his knight before her King. "It seems..." He began as she took the knight out with her bishop, he frowned and crossed his arms over his chest. "It's starting." He moved his hand but hesitated and retrieved it to further think his options.

She smiled as she crossed her legs and looked at the crack, that had formed above. For now, they were simply on the surface, but it shoulnd't take long. "Yes, it shouldn't be long now..."

He moved his pawn forward and looked at the border behind her. "I woulnd't be surprised if some Guests, started passing through..."

She hummed as she stared at the Tower that would be captured by his Queen. She moved her own pawn.

"If they do, you know what to do." She flicked the tower and he moved his Queen to its spot.

"Of course."

Her gaze surveyed the game for a moment, before she moved her bishop. "Check." She said as she reached for the cup on top of the table. As she held it in her hands she raised it, until it alined with the cracks and a smirk formed in her lips.

"Tik tok, goes the clock..."

He raised his gaze from the game shook his head and sighed, he looked back to the board shrugged as he laid his king down. Only this person could enjoy such destruction.


Year ME 756, 7th of May

She walked along the marble floor, the low heel in her boots echoed along the walls... for someone who specializes in stealth the sound was an abomination to her ears...

She stopped before a door and knocked. It opened and she was glad to find herself in the right room.

"Good morning, Selene." The King's Aide said with a smile and good disposition.

"Morning, Evandruo-san."

He signaled towards the door. "He's a little late, give him a moment, will you?"

Selene gave him a smile as she nodded and walked towards the seats placed along the walls. Her gaze was momentarily captured by the tapestry above the chair before she sat down on the black sofa. She crossed her legs and leaned against the soft fabric. She stared bored at the hem of her skirt, there were many reasons why she didn't like the clothing, it was hard to move in, it showed too much leg, which meant she needed to cover her scars with makeup, but she was always forced to dress properly when meeting the king... unless she was in a hurry to a mission.

She closed her eyes and leaned her head against her hand while she waited patiently, that she was used to. The wait, the silence...

"Oh? Is that you Selene?"

She opened her eyes at the mentioning of her name and found herself smiling towards a big man with a scar over his forehead. She rose from her seat and gave the man a hug.

"Gladio, been a while."

"No kidding." He returned the hug and then looked at her. "Been almost a year, haven't seen you since Noct's 20th birthday party." He said as he gave her a look.

Selene shrugged. "I've been busy."

"How's lady Lunafreya?"

"Luna says she's fine, I spoke to her on the phone. She's a little upset that they won't let her heal the people..." Selene moved in her spot. "This war is getting out of hand."

Gladio didn't voice out his opinion, but Selene could see he was in agreement… "And you? How've you been?

"Same old."

"Not quite," He smirked as he pointed at her skirt. "Gotta say Selene, nice pair of legs you got there." The Shield joked.

She laughed at his compliment and punched him lightly on the chest, receiving a chuckle from the man.

"Shut up! I'm not dressed like this because I want to."

"Yah, yah, are you here for his Majesty?" His playful tone disappeared in an instant and now Gladio was serious.

"Yeah, I have some things to report..."

Gladius nodded and looked at the door beside them.

"They've been in there for a while. I think they're discussing the matter with the Empire."

She glanced towards the closed doors and frowned. "The terms of the truce?"

"Yeah…"

Selene crossed her arms. For the last year, she'd been on the battlefield, constantly fighting and gathering intel… and from what she saw there she was certain the Empire was getting ready for something… She recalled her last battle before returning, the Diamond weapon. That monster, she could still remember the destruction it caused in the duscan area, she could still see it, raging into the area and destroying everything and everyone. She unconsciously moved her shoulder, she'd received a new scar there after saving an idiot Glaive that had jumped into the line of fire. Selene sighed. "Things are getting complicated…"

Gladio looked at her as if he could hear the subtext behind her words, his eyebrow raised as he silently asked what she knew. She shrugged her shoulders and said nothing more.

The Guardians grid of information was the most used and capable in the entirety of the continent. However, recently there had been no indication or information regarding the Empires plans. And when she meant nothing, there was NOTHING! It was as if the entirety of the Guardians network had shut down. Which… worried her.

She still hadn't received news from Sirius, who was stationed with Ravus... He usually called her or texted her with stupid jokes or news, but for the past weeks there was nothing more than silence. 'Did something happen to him? Is there something we are not being told?' She'd asked herself that many times… however the answer was not something she liked to ponder nor be right about…

"They proposed a marriage between Luna and Noctis." Gladio said after a while, he glanced towards Selene, who remained calm and serene like always. The woman didn't show any kind of emotion instead she merely hummed. The big man sighed, he was hoping to see some reaction from her part but as usual, she remained faithful to her profession. 'A Guardian, huh… it must be though.'

"I guess Noct will be fine with that... he's been exchanging letters with the Luna for over 10 years now." Selene fought away the sensation of solitude and jealousy that lingered in her heart. There had been countless times when she brought those same letters, seen them be written, seen Luna's smile every time she'd read his words, and she'd seen the princess's soft gaze as she'd write back… That damn sting in her chest made her feel worse…

"Oh!" Gladio's pointed out. "They're coming out. Ignis!"

As he mentioned the big doors of the throne room opened to reveal several men and women coming out, one of them a young man around Gladio's age, with spectacles who walked with a case of documents on hand, stared at them, at the mentioning of his name. Ignis spoke politely to the men who were near him, and with a quaint excuse he walked towards them.

"Selene, good to see you, it's been a while." He said with a smile as he gave her a hug.

She returned the hug. "Yah, good to see you. How was it in there?" She asked as the two men exchanged their usual greeting.

Ignis sighed and looked at the politicians and dignitaries who were coming out of the room with sour expressions. "I'm just glad that in a few days, we'll drive Noctis to Altissia... things here are not looking good... in another matter, how have you been?"

"Fine, I've had a few problems with some missions..."

"What sort of missions?" Gladio and Ignis asked.

Selene smiled and brought her finger to her lips. "That's a secret."

The two of them weren't supposed to know she was Guardian, but Selene was certain they had realized her identity, long ago… however, what she did in her missions not even the King knew...

"Selene." She looked towards Ignis uncle who was smiling gently their way. "He's ready for you." She nodded.

"See you guys."

"Come to Noct's place later, we're bringing his things back to the citadel," Gladio recalled with a smile.

"Meaning; we'll probably goof around all night, playing video-games or reading manga, and take everything tomorrow morning." Ignis filled in the blanks.

Selene giggled at the two. "I'll see if I can." She turned her back to them and walked towards the doors.

"We'll be waiting!" Gladio shouted just as she was entering the room. The amused smile that appeared on her face disappeared as she laid eyes on the man before her.

King Regis Lucis Caelum sat on his throne. A serious expression on his face... As his eyes laid on her the seriousness seemed to melt away and he gave her the usual smile he always had for her.

"Selene." His voice resonated within the walls of the throne room. She frowned as she could notice the hint of tiredness in it.

"Your Majesty." She did as the protocol dictated. She bowed her head in respect and waited for the King to tell her to rise again. If she was in his private office this would have been unnecessary, but she was meeting him in the throne room.

"You know you don't need to do that." He said amused.

"Sirius would kill me if he knew I didn't bow before the King in the throne room..." Selene said as she straightened herself and walked towards the old man.

"Really? I had the feeling he didn't care much for tradition."

"He doesn't, he just likes the architecture in the throne room."

"He has excellent taste then, the entire throne room was designed even before the Citadel was constructed, it was made by the same man who designed the old city and wall." Regis got up to give the girl a hug, he held her face in his hands and examined her. "How are you?"

"Everyone keeps asking me that, do I look bad?" She rebutted as she sat to his right.

The king chuckled. "Not at all, you look quite beautiful. Although I would have preferred another color to the suit, it makes you look too pale, and perhaps fewer red eyes and no dark rings under them."

She rolled her eyes. "Say's the man dressed in black, whose country main color is black, and looks far worse than me."

Regis laughed at her rebate and leaned amused against his chair, after a moment he decided to go back to the reason why she was there.

"What do you think?"

"You're being a hypocrite." She joked.

The king laughed and then looked at her with a smile. "Not that, Selene..."

"I know, I wanted to say it at least once."

Regis was always grateful for her joking disposition, it seemed to make things less difficult, it was a quality he was certain his son also valued...

Selene paused for a moment before lowering her gaze and gripping the hem of her skirt. "Sirius hasn't contacted me yet, and the Guardian's intelligence network has no intel… but your majesty," Her eyes met his. "I've been to the frontline. And I can assure you... they aren't going to end it with a truce."

Regis grew unusually quiet as he joined his hands together and listened to Selene's most recent adventure on the frontlines and that strange and devastating weapon. When she was finished she waited in silence for the King's thoughts, instead Regis looked at her and smiled.

"Were you injured?"

She blinked before slightly shaking her head. "Nothing I can't handle."

The older man smiled and pointed at one of the cases on his table. "I have a report, that says that more than once, a masked woman, saved the lives of several of my Glaives."

"… How incredible." She said as she avoided his gaze.

He chuckled at her antics and then looked at the documents, with a sigh he asked. "What are your thoughts on this?"

What were her thoughts? That was a good question. For months, no maybe years now, she'd had the strangest feeling like she was being treated like a doll, going from one house to the other, babysitting, fighting, gathering intel… killing… her missions were always extremely dangerous or extremely… boring. It almost felt like… 'Like they were putting on an act…' She clenched her hands into fists. The lack of orders, information, Sirius sudden silence… the bizarre missions… 'It won't stop with the truce.'

Selene raised her gaze and met the King's. "They'll come."

Regis interlaced his fingers and leaned against them in thought. Even Selene thought the same as he did, this sudden need for a truce after years and years of war... it felt strange. The king looked at the girl who was the same age as his son and he felt incredibly selfish and unfair at his next words...

"Selene... I have a favor to ask..."

She looked at him with the same golden eyes as she did on the day he told her, her father had perished... He spoke the words in a whisper as if afraid of who might hear them. He watched as the girl listened and he clenched his cane, she showed no objection, no discrimination, no hatred or loathing... she simply listened with a calm demeanor and once he was finished, she smiled at him. The same gentle and innocent smile she gave him when she was only six years old...

As she gave her answer, Regis felt a heavy guilt on his old heart. Unashamed he lowered his head, in respect and regret. "Thank you, and I'm sorry..."

Selene tried to stop him, she told him a king bowed to no one. Told him there was no need for that. Still, he lowered his head… When she left the throne room the old king paused for a moment, his gaze on the place she had sat… after a while he sighed and walked slowly and with effort up the stairs to his throne where he sat and replayed the words the child had said to him.

"Even if it costs me, my own life." Regis held his face in his hand as a lone tear fell down his eyes. He was a hypocrite, like she had jokingly said but guessed right, he thought of her as his own child, found her just as much as precious as Noctis, and he wished for nothing more than her happiness, just as he had for Noctis. But, when that child became a Guardian he did nothing. When she got injured, he did nothing. And more than anything, his greatest sin was the fact that he knew…

He knew, for a long time now, that both Selene and his son loved each other, he knew, yet Regis couldn't give them his blessing, he couldn't tell the children he loved to be happy, he couldn't… even if he wanted… He glanced at the crystal behind him as if he was glaring at it. He was sacrificing the lives of so many young ones for the good of one stone, of the world, of his son... sometimes Regis wondered, was he doing the correct thing?

On the hallway to the throne room the grandfather clock reached the mark of five-forty-six… soon the sixth hour would come…


He drove the car and waited inside it for the prince to come down. He leaned against the window and sighed. 'Babysitting the prince…'

He raised his gaze towards the entrance and straightened when he saw the prince, talking to another man, with glasses, they seemed to be arguing something. He raised an eyebrow, that seemed to be the first time he'd seen the brooding prince show emotion. Even during the parties the King threw for his birthday, he seemed to always be sulking…

The two talked briefly before, the spectacle man gently patted the prince's shoulder and shook his head. The boy seemed to show a pained expression, before he walked towards the car. Nyx straightened his back as he noticed the prince approaching.

"Evening." He said, politely as the prince entered the back seat.

"Hi, sorry to keep you waiting."

"Not at all, your highness." He began his drive, and silence fell upon the two, he felt… queasy as he reached for the radio. "Do you mind, your highness?"

"No, go ahead."

The soft tune filled the car, still the silence remained.

"So… hum, you're getting married?" The prince looked at him. "A friend of mine went to get Princess Lunafreya… are you happy?" He glanced through the mirror, and watched a frown, briefly appear, before he looked out the window, a shadow casted upon his features.

"Is that so… I hope your friend is okay… as for your question… I don't know, it still hasn't…" He swallowed. "Quite sank in."

Nyx stopped on the signals and glanced back, before looking up front. A few droplets fell on the glass, as rain began to fall, they waited in traffic. He watched the people running to get out of the rain, while some simply strolled. He smiled.

"Things in the capital are calm as usual…"

Noctis eyed the driver. "You're not from here?"

"No, sir. I'm from the outskirts… hometown was taken by the Empire." His eyes darkened with the memories as he held the steering wheel strongly. "I could either give up or fight to get it back…"

"Family?"

He chuckled. "Had a baby sister… was my world… she died."

"Sorry to hear that…"

Nyx didn't answer, as he drove the car back to the road. They were close to the apartment complex. As they drew closer Noctis spoke again.

"Are you okay with it?"

"Sorry?"

"With the agreement… everything other than the capital, will belong to the Empire."

He was silent for a moment before he released a sigh. "In all honesty, no…" He then hesitated. "But… I guess it beats being in the frontlines all the time… I've lost count, over how many times I almost died…" As he said those words he recalled one vivid memory, one where he had almost lost his life. He chuckled. "My friends call me 'hero' I know they are mocking me… but I never thought much, I… always assumed I had to do it, I had to save everyone, because I didn't save her…" He stopped the car and leaned against the seat, waiting for the prince to leave, but he knew he wouldn't, because he hadn't finished his story, Nyx gulped. "My last deployment, it was… tough… I really thought that was it, and… I, we, lost many glaives. My friend almost died… and because I'm a stubborn idiot, who doesn't care about his life, I tried to save him, and we almost died."

"You saved him?"

"We, got saved!" He smiled. "I have no idea who she was, or where she came from… I'd heard rumors, that she'd been around, helping us…" He tapped the stearing wheel, and gesticulated with his hands. "She got us out of there. Like, whoosh! And I thought, well, I should thank her, right?" He chuckled. "She hit me!"

Noctis raised an eyebrow confused. That, hadn't been what he'd expected to hear.

"Said I was an idiot, that I was courting Death! Told me, if I wanted to chase after ghosts, or play hero, that I was better off doing it outside the battlefield… We were shocked, and I wanted to tell her back… but she shot me down. 'There are no heroes here. Your sacrifice won't change a thing! It will only be another number on a report.' And like that she left us… Didn't even let me say anything before she moved like a demon, taking out the Infantry… not long after we were told to move back… I didn't see her again." Nyx frowned for a moment. "Now that I think about it… I don't think she was a Glaive, she wasn't wearing our uniform…" He turned serious for a moment. "The mask she used wasn't Glaive either… it can't be…" His voice turned into a whisper. "A Guardian?"

Noctis flinched at those words, he clenched his hands as he reached for the handle, and opened the door, pulling Nyx from his thoughts.

"Ah!" He got out of the car and bowed. "I apologize your highness, for saying foolish things!"

"No…" He answered as he closed the door, he looked at his own reflection on the fumed glass… and sighed. "Thank you, I needed to talk for a bit…" He prepared to walk towards the apartment when he stopped. "The person who saved you… did she have golden eyes?"

Nyx blinked and thought for a moment, recalling that day and the shiver that travelled through his back as her gaze fell on him. "Yes…" He whispered.

Noctis thanked him, wished him a goodnight and walked away. As he was in the elevator he punched the wall, leaving a small dent. 'You lied to me.' He thought. "You reprimand him, but you're doing the same thing… Selene."

He walked out of the elevator and began packing. Not long after, Prompto appeared, followed by Gladiolus and Ignis. They had seen his nicked hand, and the dent on the elevator, but no one had said a thing…


AN: Well, that took longer than necessary... I've been a bit busy with work. But here I am! With a new chapter all ready and freshly out of the press! (Seriously, just finished writing it!)

Well, we'll enter the next hour on the next chap, it will be the game story from now on, with my own flare xD

reminder: i dont own ffxv its characters and the original story belong to Square Enix's. the only claim i lay, is in this fanfiction and my OC's.

see you next time!