The soft sound of waves lapping against the shore filled the night air at Galdin Quay. A gentle yet damp ocean breeze drifted in through the open window of the hotel room where Tifa was unable to fall asleep. Her ruby eyes had been staring at the white ceiling for hours now, wishing she could turn her thoughts as blankly.
But she couldn't.
When her eyes closed all she could still see were the plumes of black smoke on the hazy horizon, the huge ships of Niflheim flying overhead and Noctisʼ broken expression when Cor confirmed what they had all feared since Ignis arrived that morning with the newspaper.
Breaking the armistice promises, the empire of Niflheim had launched an offensive in the very heart of Lucis.
Insomnia had fallen.
The King had been found dead.
Her eyes crystallized, imagining the beautiful crown city being consumed by fire as it happened in the village where she had been born, Nibelheim. Imagining the destruction of its beautiful and imposing skyscrapers as the rustic houses of the small town had broken down. Imagining the fall of Regis just like her own father had fallen.
Screams, fire, ashes, blood and then... The most harrowing silence.
Tears slipped from the corner of her eyes, rolling across her skin until diying when they came into contact with the pillow below her head.
Those images that had disturbed her so many nights, impeding her sleep, were now intermingling with the new catastrophe.
The girl had lost her home and the people she loved twice. How could that be possible? A slight sob escaped her mouth. An enormous pressure began to crush her, as if she had a giant boulder on top of her chest. The monk could feel herself on the verge of an anxiety attack. She was about to start hyperventilating when she heard something that made her pull herself together. Something that meant everything to her.
Noctis.
Since he had received the dire news he had said nothing. Nor had he wanted to eat dinner. He had locked himself in the room next to hers, seeking isolation from everything and everyone. That was his way of dealing with things. Tifa knew it and that was the reason why she had decided to give him space. They had always respected each other's boundaries.
But she couldnʼt ignore what she was hearing in the next room. Heavy breathings, sobbings and wailings. All of it filled with fear and anguish. Without a second thought, the girl wiped away her tears, got up, rapidly put her red boots on, opened the door and quickly made her way to his room. In any other situation she would have knocked on the door but something told her he wouldn't hear her. She had to go in immediately and she did.
Tifa found the boy in the grip of a fierce nightmare. He incessantly tossed and turned in the bed, his brow damp with sweat as he struggled against his torment. His jaw was taut, his teeth clenched... All his body was tense, his hands clutching at the sheets as if trying to fend off an unseen enemy. Tifaʼs chest tightened at the sight of him in such distress, a shaky gasp escaping from between her lips. Immediately she ran to the edge of the bed to take Noctis firmly by the shoulders.
"Noctis!" she called, her voice tinged with anxiety and concern. Seeing that the boy was still trapped by that nightmare, Tifa shook him more vigorously "Noctis, wake up!"
His eyes finally flew open, wild and unfocused, lost... dyed in an intense blood color. His breaths were agitated and his whole body was in the most strained tension. But then he saw her. He saw Tifa. He saw her beautiful, homey and warm ruby irises. Recognition and relief washed over his features. All his muscles, previously stiff, relaxed. That devilish color in his orbs disappeared, the bright sapphire gradually taking over.
Tifa saw herself reflected in his deep, pure blue ocean eyes, as if they were two mirrors.
"T... Tifa" he murmured, his voice shaky.
"Noct" she uttered his name back, her voice trailing but sounding relieved now that he was finally awake.
Her fingers still gripped his shoulders, as if she feared losing him. Noctis didn't want her to let go either. He was scared the darkness would seize him again, dragging him back into that nightmarish hell from where Tifa had rescued him. He sat up slowly with her help, gasping for breath, his heart still hammering furiously against his chest, threatening to break it into a thousand pieces.
"It was so real... I couldn't... I couldn't escape... "
Tifa sat on the edge of the bed, next to him. "It's okay, Noctis. It was just a nightmare. You're safe now" With her fingers she carefully brushed away the strands of wet black hair that clung to his temples from sweat.
The brunette saw his lips tremble before he buried his contracted face in his hands. His whole body began to shake.
"I kept seeing it, over and over. The people I couldn't protect... Insomnia... my father..." he could barely keep talking because of the lump he felt forming in his throat.
Tifa's heart shrank. She knew the weight of the burden he carried. His pain. She thought she felt the scar on her chest burn even though it was completely impossible. It had healed many, many years ago thanks to Dr. Sheiran. That doctor... Had he also died during the destruction of Lucis? Tifa pushed that thought aside and lightly pulled Noctis to her, inviting him to lean on her if he needed it. Noctis had endured the whole day holding his ground, hiding his pain. But there, in the intimacy between those four walls, with that girl who meant so much to him, he could no longer pretend. The cold, hard facade he had put up came crashing down as he collapsed into her embrace, letting her hold him as he started sobbing against her chest.
The knot tightened in the girl's sore throat. She had never seen Noctis so weak. So vulnerable. She wrapped her arms around him tightly, holding him close, desperate to protect him from all that pain. A pain she knew all too well.
The boy took refuge in her protective embrace, his own arms around her to hold her close to him. He needed her, needed her warmth, her comfort, her presence, her love. Tifa was the one who had always saved him from falling into the void. And now he needed her more than ever.
"It's not your fault, Noctis. Nothing that's happened is" she whispered, feeling his arms wrapping around her. She ran one of her hands up his back until burying on his thick ravenet hair. There she tenderly massaged his scalp, something that had always helped him relax "No one could have done anything to prevent it"
A small, exhausted pant escaped from between the lips of the prince, who dug his fingers into her smooth skin while closing his eyes, remembering the last time he had seen his father. He had smiled at him, as if everything was going to be alright.
"The peace treaty was a lie" Tifa heard him say below her, venom and anger poisoning his words.
The girl pursed her lips and nodded.
"Yeah" she quietly murmured.
She too was furious, rage coursing through her veins. But she knew, better than anyone, that those raw emotions would do no good. In those moments she had to keep a cool mind and be a pillar for Noctis. Before each one retired to their room, Ignis, Gladio, Prompto and her had in fact discussed about that very thing. About how the four of them had to control their darkest feelings. They had to make sure they stayed cool so they could keep Noctis from making bad decisions.
It had been a tough discussion, especially for Gladio, who was convinced that his father would have fallen alongside the King. He also knew nothing of his little sister. Tifa had put a hand on his shoulder, telling him that Iris had surely managed to escape along with other survivors. The man had directed a small smile at her, grateful that she reminded him that there was still hope.
After that, Ignis and she had stayed a while longer talking about the strategy they would follow next. While she was preparing tea for both of them, Ignis had told her that Niflheim would probably start hunting them. The Regalia was a vehicle that attracted too much attention. The two had agreed that they would rent chocobos to go to Corʼs meeting.
"I studied the map and the nearest road leaves us too far anyway" the bespectacled man sighed before thanking Tifa when she placed the steaming cup of tea in front of him "The chocobos will prevent the Empireʼs ships from locating us and will be of more help to us off-road"
"Yeah" the girl agreed, sitting down across from him and wrapping her own cup with her hands, which were almost ice cold "We must not draw attention to ourselves or disclose our position... At least until the Marshal gives us instructions" she made a small pause before continuing, her gaze observing the steaming tea "I have checked our currency. We have enough money to rent five chocobos for two days. There will be little money left but we will be able to buy the most necessary supplies"
Ignis watched her, grateful to be able to count on her to talk about the strategy and financial plans. He also knew that she was the best suited to keep Noctisʼ sanity. It had been she who had undoubtedly saved the prince from falling into a deep and dangerous depression during his adolescence.
The emerald-eyed man took a sip of tea. It was excellent. Tifa had explained to him how she made it but somehow he always liked the way she prepared it better. Maybe it was because he enjoyed being in her company.
A silence enveloped them, one in which Tifa barely looked up from her cup. He had wanted to comfort her, but the words stuck in his throat. His more austere and cold, analytical personality made it difficult for him to find the right words.
"The tea is really good, Tifa" was all he managed to say.
But it was enough to bring a small smile to her lips. This comforted the heart of the princeʼs advisor. After that, he had her go to rest to her room while he stayed to retrieve and clean the cups and the teapot.
Now, in Noctisʼ room, the moonlight that had bathed the place then disappeared, probably engulfed by a cloud front. A cold draft filtered into the room, rocking the curtains vigorously. Noctis gripped Tifa more tightly, not wanting her to part from him even to close the terrace doors. She did not move an inch. Nothing could take her away from him now.
They remained silent for an indefinite period of time, keeping the warmth between their bodies, isolating themselves from all that surrounded them.
"They played my father for a fool" his husky voice then came out broken.
"That's not true"
Tifaʼs sudden firm words made him separate slightly from her to look at her face. She had sounded confident and undaunted, as if she knew something he did not. When his wet sapphire blue eyes met her ruby ones, he could see confidence and strength in them. A burning flame illuminating them, giving him a sensation of safety. It was like spotting a lighthouse in the middle of a storm or a campfire in the middle of a dark forest.
Even if the monk felt her scar burn again, for Noctis, she mustered up enough courage and strength to talk about something she had never dared to say out loud.
"You know... I never understood it either" the girl paused for a moment to organize her thoughts. It was not easy for her. Noctis looked at her conflicted expression but kept silent, waiting for her to continue. His arms were still encircling her, keeping her close to him. She finally parted her lips again "Why'd my dad go into the reactor? Whyʼd chase... Caligo?" something tore inside her, making her look down.
Noctis' eyelids fluttered open when he heard her mention that name. It had certainly been difficult for her. That name belonged to a Lucian war hero who had betrayed his own, allowing Niflheim to enter Lucis through the small village of Nibelheim. The only reason they had started their invasion there was because of the existence of one of Magitek's most powerful reactors. Niflheim's mad scientist and now leader of Shinra's equally treacherous company, Verstael, had been the one to give the order.
Caligo had slaughtered hundreds of lives for just a privileged position in the Empireʼs army. He had been the one who had murdered Brian Lockhart and nearly killed his little twelve-year-old daughter, Tifa.
In order to understand her and to be able to protect her, Noctis had wanted to know the whole truth about Tifaʼs past. Regis had never wanted to discuss such topics with his son so it had been Clarus, Gladio's father and Regisʼ bodyguard and closest friend, who had told him all this after the boyʼs unrelenting insistence.
Caligo, Verstael, Shinra, Niflheim... they all were the cause of all the pain, traumas and nightmares Tifa had felt and feared since she was just a little girl. Shadows from which Noctis had always wanted to keep her safe.
"Tifa..." he called her in a low whisper, slightly closing the distance between their faces, wanting to console her.
His voice made her raise her head and stare at him again. His gaze and his proximity gave her enough strength to continue.
"Thought about it ever since waking up in Cleigne. It just seemed like such a bad idea... I mean... What did he think he was gonna do? Fight a famous war hero and win?" this time it was Noctis who lowered his head after nodding slightly.
It was the same thing his own father had thought. That, in his decayed state, he could keep up the fight against the powerful, evil empire of Niflheim. Their parents had been no different. Even though one was a King of an entire kingdom and the other a simple commoner, they both had acted equally foolishly. This proved that even the dynasty of Lucis was composed of men as mortal as any other.
Noctis felt a prick in his chest. Realizing that was tough for him.
It was Tifaʼs next words that made him look at her again, surprised "Well... he didn't" seeing the pain in his eyes, she took a deep breath before continuing "After your dad took me in, after meeting you and the boys... After making a life for myself in Insomnia... I finally realized where my father was coming from" In Tifaʼs orbs a deep love now settled. A love for all her cherished ones, her home and what she had built there with them in those past eight years. Even though there was nothing left there, nothing could take away the precious and happy memories she had.
Noctis observed her holding a hand to her chest, a gesture she used to make to give herself courage.
"My dad was angry. And heʼd had enough. Everything he had worked so hard for had been destroyed in an instant. All that he built for himself, for us-gone" Tifaʼs voice no longer wavered "Caligo had burnt it to the ground. That's why my dad went even though he had to have known how itʼd end" her hand now traveled to Noctisʼ cheek who, like her, was once again glassy-eyed. There was dim lighting, but the two could still lock their gazes. At that moment only they existed in all of Eos. Only they mattered.
"Regis knew it. He knew Lucis got dealt a losing hand and he played it the best he could" Tifa felt Noctis press his warm cheek against her colder palm "Iʼm sure he knew what was going to happen but he decided he wouldnʼt go down without a fight" The girl paused for a moment, holding back her tears.
To her Regis had been like a second father. He had rescued her from the clinic and had given her a beautiful childhood alongside his own son. The King of Lucis had watched her grow up and fall in love with Noctis and she had never doubted his approval. The kind hearted man in fact once confessed to her that Aulea, his beloved and tragically deceased wife, had also been his childhood best friend. Seeing Noctis and Tifa together had always generated warm and tender memories and feelings in him.
Regis had always blessed the union between his heir and the girl he rescued. He even came to think that perhaps it had been a matter of fate. When the old man saw his son leave with his bodyguards and friends, and especially with Tifa, he knew he was leaving him in the best of hands.
Now, Tifa looked deep into Noctisʼ eyes one more time "Regis, like my father, fought to protect everything he loved. He knew it wouldn't be enough, but he still did it. For you, for the future of Lucis and the world"
Those words completely disarmed Noctis, who could still feel the weight of his fatherʼs hand on his shoulder, who could still hear his voice telling him that he carried the line of Lucis with him. Tifa was absolutely right, the boy understood.
Regis... His dad had acted wisely. He had done everything in his power to defend all what he loved. He had sacrificed everything, even his own life. Noctis felt ashamed that he thought his father had acted like a fool.
A sudden surge of gratitude towards Tifa seized him. Slowy, the monk felt him embrace her again. But this time, it was he who held her, letting her nestle into his chest. Her eyes closed, exhausted, as if she had just lifted a huge weight off her shoulders. Tifa then thought that maybe she should have talked about all that before, but she had never wanted to put that burden on anyone, least of all Noctis, who had always had his own ones. Even so, it was thanks to that moment that Tifa understood that, by sharing burdens, they were easier to bear. She had always wanted to help Noctis by carrying the weight of his burdens and knew that the boy would do the same for her. They could share their problems... stop carrying them alone to make them their own. After all they were a team. And they would face it all together.
Tifa clung to him. His strong and now calm heartbeat, like a drum, relaxing her, his firm arms holding her. She noticed him resting his face on the crown of her head. The room was plunged into a cold darkness, but she felt safe there, in the warm embrace of the person who mattered most to her in the world.
"Tifa..." he whispered her name, one of his hands burying in her long ashen brown hair. Now he was aware of all the pain she had had to endure for so many years. Before that, he had only been able to understand the pain of losing a mother, the trauma of almost being murdered, the misfortune of falling into a coma and the horror of losing a cherished friend. Now, however... He could fully understand all her suffering. It was breaking his heart. The young prince had always admired Tifaʼs strength, but now he knew how far it went. Now he could fully understand the burden she had had to bear for so many years. Now he could realize the girl's extraordinary and unlimited perseverance. Her fighting spirit.
For Noctis, Tifa had always been a role model. Now he realized that, in truth, she was his heroine. He wished he could be as strong and resilient as she was.
The boy took a deep yet ragged breath, his voice stumbling out of his mouth "Thank you, Tifa. Thank you for... open up to me to... To... To help me" Noctis felt her nod against his chest, her small hands squeezing the black fabric of his shirt "I don't know what I'd do without you, Tifa. Sometimes... Sometimes it feels like it's too much... like I'm not strong enough. Iʼm afraid of falling" he confessed, no longer scared of looking vulnerable in front of her. She had let him see her in her most delicate state too. The intimacy between them had deepened.
She pulled back from his embrace to cup his face in her hands and look into his clear blue eyes. There it was again. That fire in her ruby irises. One that made Noctisʼ chest swell with courage.
"You are strong, Noctis. Stronger than you realize. And you're not alone. Iʼll always be here with you... Ignis, Gladio and Prompto... we all are here for you, every step of the way. We will stand by your side. We wonʼt let you fall" faint but sincere smiles tugged at the corners of their lips now.
Noctis rested his forehead on hers, breathing her in before kissing her. It was a slow, warm kiss, charged with affection and devotion. Tifa melted in the boy's arms, letting him finish ripping all the pain out of her. It was a healing kiss for both of them. Nothing in the world could give him more peace and solace than the way Tifa kissed him, showing him how much she treasured him. The gentleness and affection she gave him was enough to heal any of his wounds.
When they parted, Noctis lovingly stroked her cheek with his knuckles.
"I don't deserve you" He whispered, the thought that she was a gift from the gods of Lucis to him becoming more powerful.
She shook her head and smiled gently, brushing one of his bangs of hair away from his eyes.
"We deserve each other. And we'll get through this, together"
Tifaʼs smile widened at the sight of his own precious one. It made him happy that she accepted that she deserved him too. There had been a complicated time when he had had to fight for her not to be afraid to love him because of their difference in birth, him a heir to the throne and she a commoner.
Now they were both on the same page. Their love stronger than ever.
"Together" He repeated her words before hugging her again, a feeling of calm enveloping him like a cloak.
With Tifa and the boys by his side, he felt a glimmer of hope, a reassurance that they could face whatever challenges lay ahead. They would save Lunafreya and then confront the tyranny of Niflheim and the Daemons. He would restore the light. It all would be alright. It had to.
As they sat there, the black clouds dissipated, allowing the silvery light of the crescent moon to enter again in the room.
Noctis felt Orpheus' hands over him, but he no longer wanted to sleep alone. It was at that moment that the prince knew he would never again close himself off as he had. Tifa needed him and he needed her too. Together they were stronger, whole.
"Stay with me" he asked her, his voice barely above a whisper.
Tifa nodded and after removing her red boots got under the covers with him, who embraced her and pulled her to his body. The girl snuggled against him.
"I'll always stay with you, Noctis. Always" she promised him.
He smiled and gave her a warm kiss on the forehead before answering her.
"I will never leave you. I promise you, Tifa" he too exchanged an oath.
The girl also smiled at him before she cuddled into his chest. She felt a new kiss on the crown of her head, his hands stroking her back up and down before stopping to pull her completely against him, leaving no spaces between their stomachs.
The sound of the Cygillan ocean waves intoned a lullaby for both of them.
In the midst of that new and comforting silence, the heir of Lucis knew that he, Prompto, Ignis, Gladio and Iris were all Tifa had left. They were her home and family. And he wasn't going to let her lose anyone else.
Never again.
There was so much still worth fighting for. And he would not surrender. He knew that neither Tifa nor Ignis nor Prompto nor Gladio would either.
A new strength and resolve settled in him. He tightly closed his embrace around the only girl he had ever loved. She was his anchor, the moonlight to his dark night to guide him through the right path.
The next day they would meet Cor at the royal tomb. Noctis would claim the first weapon in the Royal Arms arsenal. He would then begin to prepare for his task. He was ready to finally take on that responsibility. His father had trusted him and he would not let him down, nor would he let down Tifa, his brothers nor Lunafreya nor all the people who trusted in him.
Tifa intertwined her legs with his, their bodies fitting together like two puzzle pieces. One completed the other like the two sides of the same coin. Their hearts beat in unison.
When he noticed his girlʼs quiet and heavy breaths that signaled her sleep, he allowed himself to close his own eyes, knowing that Tifa's presence would keep his worst nightmares away.