#TENEBRAE IS BURNING LEVIATHAN

[azxremoon]

noctis watching tenebrae burn for the next 20 minutes while i wait for the sun to rise so a cutscene doesn’t look like ass

[queenoffishingandcookies]

The Nox Fleuret’s Background / Oracle Lore + Ifrit Headcanon, I guess??

This is…a lot longer than I meant it to be.

THE HOUSE OF FLEURET BACKGROUND

As I (at least should have) mentioned before, Magic was more widespread during the era of Solheim and during the early years of Lucis before it was, well, Lucis.

Those with magic generally could only manipulate elements, or create low-level curatives (though this was also dependent on medical knowledge, the ingredients, and so on), and further abilities (absorptions, creation, outright healing, etc, were granted by forging covenants with Astrals or messengers, earning their blessings).

What set powerful bloodlines apart from everyday people who could manipulate elements or create curatives, were blessings or literally sharing blood with Astrals/messengers.

(Examples being Lucis Caelum’s being tied to both life and death through Bahamut and the Beyond, and then bound to Eos via crystal after the fall of Solheim).

I was thinking that, perhaps, the Fleuret’s were descendants of Ifrit. They had not been the direct blood of the god, had not ruled over Solheim - most of the direct bloodline had been killed off in the astral war, or by angry people afterwards - but they carried his blood, his flame, the spark of magic those of his blood always carried, and survived.

(Possibly thanks to aid from messengers + a certain snowy astral, but more on that later).

Also, Lunafreya is oft depicted with sun imagery.

To sum up my line of thought.

Ifrit = Fire

Fire = Sun

Lunafreya, an Oracle = Sun (fanart, logo)

Sun = Golden Light

Oracle Powers = Golden Light = Sun = Fire = Ifrit

Ifrit is the god of fire, the infernian - but he also is the god of sun, to me. The sun is fire, the sun is light - golden light, akin to the Oracle’s. Able to burn and destroy and renew and heal.

The sun and fire symbolizes healing in many cultures. In forests, fires burn down old trees to allow plants closer to the ground and unable to get sunlight through the leaves a chance to grow. It warms the ill, provides plants with the nutrients they need to grow, just as easily as it destroys (like Luna pushing Leviathan back in Chapter Nine).

So. The House of Tenebrae are descended from Ifrit. And if their chosen name, Tenebrae, is tied to how Ifrit’s own flame went dark and was doused in the Astral War…well, only the most avid historians may note that.

(Canonically, Bahamut imparted the Trident of the Oracle and the duty to commune with the gods upon them, but I like to think not all their powers came from him, and I…don’t know if it’s ever specifically stated that they did come from him?)

(Their bloodline and innate Magic, on top of their piety - survivors forming the Fleuret house often being priests/priestesses/Templars of the Astrals as they were from distant, not main bloodline, branches - had a hand in why Bahamut bestowed the title of Oracle upon the bloodline later when the starscourge starts getting worse and slumbering Astrals need to be called upon. More later).

(Though, in worlds where Ifrit’s rage, his spilled blood created the scourge, rather than the meteor or Bahamut meddling - and occasionally, between story ideas its origin does differ for me, bouncing around like a tv screensaver - makes for an ironic situation. I… now a burning need to try and make a comprehensive list of Astrals & messengers to try and picture dynamics…)

Additionally, a little bit of random trivia is, I think, this is why Spiracorns are also part of the family crest. Just me drawing connections where there are none, honestly.

Their horns kind of remind me of Ifrit’s and I find it interesting if he had two sacred animals - one for the sky (Phoenix) and the earth (Spiracorns) because the sunlight - fire, his element - touched both sky and land.

Also, with the similarity between Spiracorns and unicorns, you can’t tell me there aren’t stories of how they have (or had) magic, that their horns had curative properties.

THE BASICS OF FLEURET MAGIC

All members of Tenebrae have an inner flame, a spark of magic. This flame, golden and amber as the rays of the sun itself, represents both their magic and their life force.

It is a flame that always burns in their heart, casts long and dark shadows in their chests. It is their flame which is always shown to the outside world, while the shadows obscure their emotions and truths and what little makes them human - their emotions and thoughts, more than their bodies.

A representative of their life, as well as their mind, Fleuret magic is affected by their emotions and focus. The flame is fed and strengthened by focus, by pure emotion - but distress, upset, injury…dims and weakens their magic, if that makes sense. Likewise, fury and anger and jealousy can make the flame - their magic - unpredictable, uncontrollable.

Dangerous.

It will never go out, not unless they are dead, but if they lose control of their emotions, if a Fleuret does not take care to pay mind to their flame and magic - it can either grow so weak as to cause them pain and ensure they can’t properly utilize it, or so uncontrollable that they should not dare touch upon it in an populated area.

Like worshipping an astral or messenger, Fleuret’s must be dedicated in pursuit of controlling themselves - meditation, checking their emotions and regulating them, feeding and tampering the flame.

Its in this manner that their magic can also grow stronger, deeper - an infant’s flickering candle to a conflagration of an Oracle’s life force that swallows stars whole.

(There’s a reason why isolation and meditation are important parts of an Oracle’s training).

Similarly to Lucis Caelum’s, there is a cost of the magic running through the Fleuret bloodline.

When they heal, when they place the warmth of their magic over another person, they are - or at least used to - literally burning up some of their own life force, giving it to another to restore what they had lost, or using it to strengthen what is left.

The only reason they don’t often burn themselves out entirely when healing is due to a blessing from the Shiva, the Glacian. She saw the descendants of her beloved, as they stood against their patriarch to protect the innocent who had not earned the Infernian’s fire, and watched as they burned themselves out (trying to fight the darkness he might have created).

If the frost-kissed blessing painted their hair platinum as they aged, matched their eyes to the shade of winter’s ice reflecting the shades of the sky and sea just a smidge paler, it was only a side-effect and not an intention (not a claim).

But her blessing isn’t perfect. Fire will always melt and thaw ice and snow, eventually. A fire still grows dim, and every now and again, the blessing needs to…restore itself, basically. Similarly to how winter always returns each year.

And in the aftermath of healing a person, or fighting in battle, the flame grows dimmer and Shiva’s gilded shield of ice and frost weaker. It needs to be restored, hopefully by rest or light bathing - beneath the sun or moon, or by lighting candles in a room and meditating.

(Unlike a Lucis Caelum, those of the Fleuret line can restore their life force, put kindling on the flame….as long as they haven’t overextended it. Example being waking slumbering Astrals who function on entirely different levels of energy compared to normal mortals in what is probably very short succession).

The tradition of being priests and priestess and Templars to Astrals & messengers was as much a means of devotion as it was survival, and I’ll leave it at that.

Like the Lucis Caelum’s, they’d have a heightened awareness - a sixth sense of sorts - for illness. You could say their magic illuminates it. In equal regards, they can just as easily pinprick darkness - the starscourge.

And though that light fades eventually from the other person, though it can’t be shared in the way Lucian royalty does, in the time it lingers it lends a certain immunity to illness, better strength.

(Liable to change, don’t quote me on this. I’m still figuring things out, haha)

CHOSEN BY BAHAMUT

Now we come to why Bahamut chose the House of Fleuret to stand as Oracles of Eos, the mouthpiece of the mortals to commune with the gods, and the bastion of light which pushed back darkness while the star waited for the chosen king (and on and on it goes…)

They were one of the few bloodlines that were on par with his own.

At least, they were on par with the LC’s before the crystal was bestowed upon them, even if it was in different ways (since the astral parent of the bloodline, and therefore the innate Magic, was different).

Considering Bahamut was the only astral to retire to the Beyond, rather than slumbering on the mortal plane, he was probably the only one conscious when the starscourge (which, no matter how it started, had a definite hand in Solheim’s fall) began to resurge.

He saw how their light was able to repel the darkness, and - considering how the family resided in Salvus (Ancient Lucis of Ardyn and Somnus’ time) how they aided his bloodline in driving back the returning darkness, still very much the pious people they’d been during the Astral War.

By this point, (and in some worlds, he is unaware of the fact, while in others he’s meddling) he’s realized that the crystal is - instead of LC’s being bound to it near adulthood, distilling and merging the star’s lifeforce - the power of the beyond, of the elements, with his mortal offspring.

Should the darkness ever spread as it once did during Solheim’s fall and the war, Bahamut wanted to prevent it. Since Plan Number One had led to opposition from the other Astrals, that is where the prophecy comes in.

His descendants were not bound close enough to the star, did not have the power to yet purge the curse - and with the other Astrals knocked out, they could not lend the strength that had used up stopping Bahamut’s Blast Eos plan.

So. Why not, just…put his bloodline and Ifrit’s powers together. As the only astral awake, it was essentially his prerogative in preserving the star. Alone, neither would be strong enough.

Together, even if not now…eventually, and he would see to it, they’d be able to purge the star of blight.

His own power, so steadily bound to Eos through his bloodline, would do nothing to stir the slumbering Astrals. Besides, to awaken the Astrals with His own bloodline - who would surely only merge more with the land’s life force until their own was indistinguishable from it - would render his idea a moot point:

But Ifrit’s power - the variant of it that his children carried - the power of a dead astral?

That would wake them.

It’s a lot of moving parts and I’m not clear as I want to be in explaining it, sorry!

But, long story short:

- Bahamut puts LC’s in charge of Eos, gives crystal.

- Fleuret’s, survivors of Solheim and Ifrit’s descendants, are pretty prominent in Salvus (pre-Lucis)

- Starscourge returns. LC’s handle the daemonified, while Fleuret’s attempt to save those who can be saved.

- Bahamut notices and has an ‘Oh Shit’ moment.

- Since the other Astrals (plus his own bloodlines and the Fleuret and a great deal of messengers) had been against his destroy the whole star plan, he didn’t immediately go that route.

- Instead, taking notice (or having planned back) of the LC’s merging life force and Magic with Eos, and Ifrit’s descendants fighting darkness with his light, goes-

- Let’s put them together. If they can’t get rid of it now, then I’ll make sure they’ll be strong enough to get rid of it later.

- and he thinks.

- the scourge will need to be gathered in one place. Preferably, the power of the other Astrals, as well - who are knocked out (because of him).

- Have Ifrit’s descendants wake the others, his own descendant + Ifrit’s earn blessings, and destroy accumulation of scourge in one place.

- It is, by his decree (since he fucked up and Eos is so saturated with his presence and power via descendants it won’t make a difference) that the Fleuret bloodline is given the solem task of communing with the Astrals in times of peril for the people, of passing in the mortal realms words to the divine, and pushing back the darkness blight.

- because his descendants kind of can’t (not without expending a lot of energy or possibly starting another astral war by offending the other Astrals)

Yeah, this is also eventually how the prophecy comes to be.

And I have…Headcanons on that. (Ardyn was chosen king of Salvus, Which was Lucis-but-not-Lucis, but he was also to be the Sovereign of Scourge, The King of Daemons, Fallen Angel of Darkness Blight - you can’t tell me people didn’t call him an Angel, especially in wing AU’s of any kind - and it’s A Thing I need to outline more).

Basically, it all boils down to then having healing magic on par with the LC’s more suitable for dealing with the scourge, and they can actually wake the other Astrals without causing (immediate) massive destruction (most of the time).

The first of the Oracles being, of course, Aera Mirus Fleuret.

(In soulmate AU, Aera and Ardyn (and maybe even someone else who wasn’t born yet? Could be anyone. Cor. Regis. Hell, you could even try a more sane Besithia) and Ardyn having Ifrit’s spark on top of his LC magic and that’s what makes him chosen king of Salvus - and also, what later makes him Sovereign of the Scourge…CONSIDER!)

With the other Astrals fairly absent, being knocked out and all, it was probably Bahamut who - through visions with Aera and the oracles chosen after her - honed the more combative aspects of the Fleuret’s flame into a searing weapon against the scourge, rather than the warm restoration of healing.

The Oracle:

What sets the Oracle apart from other members of the Fleuret bloodline?

I’m so glad you asked!

A shit ton of training, that’s what.

Really, that should be its own post.

I know canonically only women are made Oracle, and seem to have magic in the Fleuret bloodline.

For my headcanon about Oracles, pick canon up, strangle it, and throw its body into the Regalia Type-F without letting saving. Try and fly to Pitioss Ruins and attempt land on the first run (and fail).

As seen way up above, all members of the Fleuret family have a flame, and therefore have magic. An Oracle is not always designated by the divine by birth - though it does happen on occasion (see: Lunafreya).

Instead, around the age of early adolescence (12–13), members of the House of Fleuret are judged by the messenger of the current Oracle and begin undergoing rudimentary training.

Some are predisposed to healing and soothing pain, while others are inclined to combat. Potential Oracles are selected from those who are either naturally balanced in using both - or make devoted attempts to do so.

Also, depending on how big a generation is, kids can just…opt out of becoming the next Oracle. If they’d prefer to be a priestess/priest/Templar, they’d be able to.

Training to be Oracle is rigorous, it pushes you to your breaking point (not that becoming any other positions listed above is any easier). Many, even other members of House Fleuret, can’t stand up to the pressure - not through any fault of their own, it’s just. That. Much. To. Handle.

The previous Oracles - and yes, I do mean plural, because training involves relics left behind by ancestors and Gentiana was able to deliver Lunafreya’s spirit to Noctis and I have Things About Oracle Training to think about when the two things are connected together - will convey on whether the Oracle-In-Training is ready for ascension.

Plus the messenger and current Oracle, if applicable to the situation.

Only one Oracle exists at one time, even if a trainee is declared ready and appointed as Successor Oracle to the public.

The next Oracle doesn’t publicly ascend until the prior is dead.

It can take years for a Successor Oracle to ascend - and Lunafreya, the youngest Oracle, spent four years in training from twelve to sixteen. And the only reason she could ascend right away was because her mother was…dead.

Training, when the previous Oracle is still alive, technically ends at the age of physical maturity, around twenty. That’s about eight years. After which, they take up duties similar to the actual Oracle, but don’t claim title until the previous one passes.

(Preferably, the Oracle handles matters of healing the ill and clearing away the scourge. The Succesor can be found in prayer on the Oracle’s behalf when they are away, also attending to the sick, performing funerary rites for the deceased…Whatever the Oracle isn’t doing at that time, really).

(Tenebrae, for all its peaceful and idyllic scenery, was surprisingly cutthroat in the past.)

Magic-wise: The Oracle is the pinnacle of Fleuret magic. I’ll explain the difference between healing/combative Fleuret magic in the sections separating the priest/priestess and Templars below, so I’ll just mention what makes the Oracle (or Successor Oracle) special.

- The Oracles, after so long in training, are really the only ones in the family where healing and combative magic is honed to such a fine point together that they are able to born out the starscourge without harming the person infected with it.

- This does come at a personal cost though. Whereas other members of the family might not need to restore Shiva’s Blessing (also known as The Glacian’s Shield), Oracles are at constant risk of burning themselves out depending on how bad the spread of illness is. It won’t kill them, immediately, but the ensuing exhaustion is painful. Ice baths almost nightly, regular undisturbed meditation…

- They can heal major wounds and also sooth severe illnesses that the others can’t touch upon - though illnesses aren’t immediately healed, depending on severity.

(example: Noctis post-Marilith. The Oracle would be the only person with fine-tuned Magic to remove the scourge without killing him in the process, and in any other person where it didn’t merge with magic, the procedure would have been painless. Similarly to his weak and damaged bones, the rehabilitation - at lot of his steady health in Tenebrae had to do with Queen Sylva).

- They can commune directly with gods, in person, and are less likely to die in the Astral’s trials because of pseudo-covenants/blessings imparted on them by Previous Oracles. If Lucis Monarchs can do it, Tenebrae can have something similar.

- long story short on a working idea: the Astrals aren’t awake, but they are aware on some levels - and each Oracle must seek approval through prayer and greeting the astral (not a covenant, not quite, but close to). Its not waking them, so it doesn’t take much energy more than a phone call.

- It’s just a sort of small factor that gives you a lesser chance of dying in a trial to earn a blessing. That acknowledgment of being one worthy to commune with them and not go crazy. Because Astral Tongue does make normal people who can’t understand it crazy over prolonged amounts of time, and also hurts the ears and head like hell.

- The price of the covenant, of waking the astral if necessary, is still said Oracle’s price to pay though. The price is an exorbitant amount of energy, of magic, of life. A straight punch to the gut and series of relentless after effects compared to the slow drain and relentless aftereffects Lucian royalty gets to deal with.

Non-Oracles | Priests & Priestesses:

- Though trained in combat, priests and priestesses are most often healers (though this differs from astral to astral and the regions they reside in). I generally see them utilizing polearms or ranged weapons (example: bows) when fighting is necessary.

- Not all priests and priestesses are from House Fleuret, but this is a list of what those who are can do compared to normal priests and priestesses (who arguably…don’t have magic in the modern era).

- Can’t completely heal the starscourge, but they can halt and repress it when the illness is caught in the early and middle stages.

- Can treat minor and mild injuries. Scrapes, puncture wounds. Can sooth pain of more severe wounds (like stabs wounds, or deep/open punctures).

- Where and when the Oracle can’t consecrate havens, a team of priests/priestess’s do so on their behalf. Havens last quite some time on their own, but it is also their duty to renew and sustain the Oracle’s enchantment on havens when possible.

(I’m sorry, but with those carvings on the havens, creating them had to have been a team effort, even if charging them with protective magic was apparently a single-handed one for the Oracle).

- furthermore all priests/priestesses have a duty to drive back daemons from areas. In the past, when consecrating havens or protecting villages, this is when (and why) combat training was used - though, primarily Templars fought the front line.

Non-Oracles | Templars:

I have less expansion on the Templars, bare with me.

They don’t have a set position/profession like a priest/priestess at a temple does, since it began as a term for male Fleuret’s with magic (in my head) and then for Fleuret’s who specialized in combative magic.

Most likely, they’d become military soldiers? Those in more distant branches may have chosen to work as hunters, or guards at a temple.

Actually, maybe that’s why temples or any areas of worship which have special guard forces call the the guards Templars? Homage to the Fleuret line.

After the establishment of the hunters, they’d probably relinquish field battles except in emergencies and only guard the areas of worship. Food for thought, I’ll have to come to this…

(Fun fact: at one point while I was thinking about this - prior to the above - they were like the hunters? Like, regions with temples had there own group of Templars and their duties were to protect and escort priests/priestesses and people from daemons. And then I remembered the hunter’s existed. Ha.)

- Traditional / ceremonial weaponry is a rapier. Any weapon goes, however. Some may prefer polearms.

- Combative Fleuret magic is less physical than one might expect. Weapons can become imbued with light and superheated when attacking.

- Similarly, can unleash beacons of light from weapon, and craft blades of light as long as they have enough time and focus. (Noct leaving holograms behind, but it’s the blade/ammo/part of the weapon that hits an enemy, basically, if that makes sense?)

These beacons can force back even an astral (Leviathan), and both the brightness and heat can be intolerable to enemies.

- It’s less of a shield, and more of a knockback attack, though. Best to dodge or block an attack if possible. If not, prepare beacon immediately, basically.

- an anchor, like a weapon, to channel the magic is preferable…but in emergencies, even something like a rock or metal scrap will do.

The Rarity of Male Oracles:

- Although men can become the Oracle in my headcanons, that doesn’t mean it happens often. Or that the public knows they are male (transgender characters in the past, for example).

- Because of the rarity of men holding the title, it’s a common misconception throughout Eos that the Oracle is always a woman.

- To be Oracle is a position, a duty, but it is not one’s gender.

Conclusion Thingy Separate from Headcanon rambling

Anyway, I’ve been writing since about 10:40 and it’s now almost 3:30 in the morning. I wanted to go more in depth about the Templars and male oracles but my brain is fried.

I hope this is somehow coherent? I’m going to go to sleep, and when I wake up, see if I remember what I wanted to add to the Templar and male Oracle sections.

Enjoy?

[ravusnightblossom]

(Moved to a new post because lagacy/beta format: X) @gcldenlioness

She had anticipated him to flee, to call her a fool for presuming to carry out such an action. Yet here he still stands, arms still about her in the embrace they had shared before her impulsivity had taken her. Though his words and features remain as gentle as they had ever been, she can feel tension in his arms as her hands gently rest atop them. Are his words only soft to appease her? After all, despite the bond they had formed in the moons past, would Ravus dare to criticise his queen? And Cersei is more than aware of who she is…why would he even long for her the way she did for him? It is with a swiftness that she pulls away now, mindful that she is likely causing him discomfort. After moving a few paces, she turns her back, a hand running over her face, which now burns with what she quickly recognises to be shame. It is all she can do not to sob at her own foolishness. When she does eventually turn back to observe him, there is still faint redness on her cheeks, and she is more than eager to divert not only herself, but her knight away from the act she had just committed. “Ser, you said you wanted to show me Tenebrae on the map…”

⋞⁘♔⁘⋟     His head tilted as he watched Cersei, trying to fathom what thoughts or emotions might be flitting through her in that moment. Though his own unease and conflictions were rattling him, he was not blind to the fact that hers surely were, as well. As a position of acting royalty, he knew she had to be weighing what she felt in ways even he could not relate to.

"I... Yes," he agreed, noting the redness that blushed along her cheeks. He wanted to assure her that there was not shame to be had in what had been done... but could he truly express that when he was battling those uncertainties, himself?

Stepping up beside her, his arm brushed along her shoulder as he leaned to see the map more closely. He studied the positioning, finding the exact placement of Tenebrae. "There she is," he whispered.

Rather than point to it, himself, he gently reached for Cersei's hand. Moving it, he lead her fingertips to an area north of Essos. Within the Leviathan Sound sat two islands, sheltered by the storms of the bad, but disconnected enough from the mainland.

"Right there," he explained, letting her fingers brush over it so she knew precisely where it was. "It doesn't appear so, but the two islands are considered one in the same. At low tide you can venture between them, otherwise it is a brief ferry travel. It has been many years, but I doubt that aspect has changed."

[secret-engima]

*kicks down door* Have I ever mentioned that my gremlin brain came up with an explanation for why the characters treat Lucis like a continent when the map is so weird and so oddly small in proportions, even when taking into account the (large) part of it we can’t go?

Because gremlin brain did that.

Admittedly partly inspired by a throwaway line in the fic Nocturne but like-

War of the Astrals.

Big deal.

Bahamut alone made a HUGE rift in the continent that stretches for miles and is probably like- roughly grand canyon sized.

So here we have the god of fire, and the god of the SEA among others, all duking it out prior to Bahamut carving his rift and “killing” Ifrit and like-

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A VOLCANO ERUPTS. I mean the big ones. The Krakatoas and Santorini’s of the world.

STUFF SINKS.

Sure it’s just an island in RL but when you have EMBODIMENTS OF THOSE FORCES OF NATURE all trying to kill each other then STUFF WILL REALLY SINK.

So gremlin brain was like: what if the reason the map is weird is because it IS really that small. What if Lucis is roughly the size of a really large RL ISLAND while Niflheim/Tenebrae’s continent is MAYBE Australia sized at absolute most and the reason nobody bats an eye is because the rest of the continents SUNK WHEN SOLHEIM FELL. Leviathan threw hands so hard with Ifrit while Titan was busy stopping a meteor or something that a huge swathe of land just- sunk. Straight up. Galahd probably used to be a freaking mountain range before the oceans rose up so high they almost drowned and Ramuh had to stop spamming lightning long enough to hastily save what would later become the islands (and oh look a reason for the Galahdians to revere Ramuh as their patron astral, he saved them from the wrath of the burning sea).

So the survivors of solheim, when they were picking up the pieces, would have known that a ton of land was lost, but its still all the land they have left, so they keep calling it the “continent” and then over time people just forget that continent used to mean anything larger than what they currently have, and that’s why the characters are like “it’s a whole world out there” and we the players are like “why map so small?????”

It would also explain why Ravatogh takes up such a large chunk of the map? Like- volcanos can be Tol, so the ocean didn’t manage to swallow it up.

Am I making any sense? It made sense in my head.

Honestly this has probably already occurred to a lot of people in this fandom but it finally occurred to me like- a month ago and I finally got around to sharing so there.

[noirbriar]

FFXV AU: Loyalty and Devotion

Probably OOC, but I don’t think a father would be pleased if his son would choose danger when they made an effort to keep them safe.

There is an whole argument when Prompto was younger but the Leonis/Ulric household eventually works it out.

A short after the Altissia incident and Prom gets captured during the The Lion, the Coeurl and the Cub AU. (Slight warning for violence and a slimy scientist being slimy)

-----

I’m sorry. Forgive me, Noct.

Noctis Lucis Caelum snaps awake as his vision slowly becomes clearer.He has no idea where he is, until his memories return and he remembers. Leviathan. The trial. Luna. Niflheim. He hears Luna screaming from outside and jumps out of the bed and runs out to where she is.

“We need to find him, please, Ravus!”

There in the receiving room, Lunafreya is visibly distraught as Gladio and Ignis are trying to hold her back.Whereas Ravus Nox Fleuret looks conflicted. Something is not right. Someone is missing.

“Where’s Prom?” Noctis chokes out.His voice hoarse and strained. 

Ignis and Gladio share a look while Luna is too stressed and quietly collapses on the nearest seat. The Lucian prince does not like where this is going. To make matters worse, the double doors slam open and the King strides in along with the Old Shield, followed by two other men flanking close behind. Two men that neither member of the prince’s group really wants to see right now.

There was a brief silence until Cor snaps towards Noctis and his retainers with narrowed eyes.

“Where’s Prompto?”

Ravus, surprisingly, is the first one that breaks the tension in the room by kicking the nearest footrest in frustration.

——

Turns out that Prompto had tried to defend the weakened Oracle from Ardyn. Yet Prompto is unable to fend Ardyn off, his bullets hitting each time but they do not hinder the daemonic man’s advance. In the middle of the fight, Luna swears, the last she remembers was Prompto shoving her away from Ardyn, and into the crashing waves with an approaching Leviathan. His eyes burning of light like the sun. The oracle sees his lips moving, but only hears it in her mind as the water embraces her.

Obey and serve! O’Daughter of the Tides!

Then. Darkness. Yet Death does not take her, but holds her gently in safety and protection.

——

With Ravus officially defected from the Imperial army with his stunt in Altissia, his intel was that Niflheim has taken full offence at the Nox Fleurets defiance and will fully invade and destroy their country. While Prompto was last seen taken by Niflheim forces.

“What?!” Noctis grabs the Tenebraen Prince by the collar,” Where did they take Prom?!”

“Your Highness!” Ignis and Gladio pull Noctis off Ravus.The last thing they need now is more internal conflict. 

Nyx is mad and it was obvious because the Galahdian was deathly silent. Cor is breathing heavily, clutching his katana in a death grip. If only they were faster in breaking down the enemy forces between them and Accordo. If only they pushed more, Prompto would not have been captured.

Noctis demands that they push into Niflheim and rescue Prompto but Regis is against it. As a father and a friend, he wants to save him but as a King, he could not. The enemy numbers are overwhelming and there is an issue with Tenebrae’s impending attack as well.

“Marshal!” Dustin enters the room, completely ignoring the tension and shoves a tablet into his hands. There are few things in this world that will faze the Immortal Shogun. However the image before him only serves to fuel his anger before he snarls at the person on the other side of the video.

“Verstael Besithia.”

Regis and Clarus immediately crowds in beside Cor and Nyx’s eyes widen at the sight before him in fury. There was Prompto, wounded and beaten down, shirtless and covered in scars, bound to a metal cross. Although he is awake and trying his best to hold on visibly.

“I was wondering when I will get to speak to you, thief.” the psychopathic scientist laughs,”yet what has been lost will always come back.”

Dustin quickly shuffles aside, allowing the Prince and his retainers to watch the video feed.Noctis finally gets around and clench his fists as he sees the injuries and bruises on Prompto’s torso and every inch of visible skin.That is his friend.His beloved and precious friend yet he’s now suffering and what the fuck is he even doing here-

“What do you want with one of ours, Besithia?” Regis coldly begins. 

“Yours?YOURS?” The scientist laughs like the madman he is.” He was never yours, King Regis! Your soldier had stolen what was mine and yet, I ought to thank you.” Verstael puts a slimy hand on Prompto’s cheek in a creepy caress, which the blond tries to pull away from,”you have helped further my research. I see now that my prodigal son who has returned is a much more exquisite sample than his brothers! Even the starscourge has failed to leave a mark, how peculiar!”

“Get your fucking filthy hands off MY son!” Cor spats,”and he isn’t yours you sick fuck. Prompto is a son of Lucis and I swear, once I have my hands on you Besithia, I will fucking do what I should have done 20 years ago!”

“Ahhhh.Would you now? Shame, but I have better things to deal with than you, Marshal.” The madman smirks at Prompto who glares at him with all the hate Noctis has never seen him with at all in their years of friendship.

”Besides, you have a welcoming committee in Tenebrae, no?Courtesy of us Niflheim of course.” Verstael rubs Prompto’s cheek and Prom struggles, his hands flexing in futile attempt to get away.”I just thought it be nice for you to say goodbye first in case you both can’t see each other again.Afterall you did care for my boy all these years-“ 

“Don’t fucking touch him-!” Noctis hisses, barely reining in his magic.

“Oh don’t worry Your Highness.We’ll have a splendid time reuniting.Till next time.Or not.”

The video feed cuts. Dustin wisely pulls the device away from the Marshal before he loses it to violence. He has worked with the man too long and knows his habits by now. However something seems unusual…

Cor and Nyx are calm.Too calm.

“Time.” Cor starts softly and Nyx checks his phone.

“1545 hours.” Nyx replies systematically.”90?”

“No, 72. Factor that he’s already in some time.”

“Alright.” Nyx then taps the device on his ear and belts out a series of codes and orders. 

“What are you even doing-We need to get Prompto! He’s not safe-“ Noctis looks at Regis and Clarus, who remain stoically silent.

“No.”

“W-Excuse me?” Even the prince’s advisor is taken aback by the sudden order from Cor.

“Marshal, what-?” Gladio is unable to process this.Its not like Cor at all.

“What do you mean no? W-THATS PROMPTO OUT THERE, YOUR SON-“

“Do NOT insinuate I will leave my own boy out there to die your Highness or so help me-“ Cor snaps at Noctis, his patience gone entirely.However he stops and inhales sharply, taking a second before he tosses his katana towards Clarus who grabs it effortlessly.

”What I am about to say will be considered treason to the crown, your Majesty. I call upon you to lay judgement as you deem fit.”

Regis is expressionless as he looks at Clarus.Then he looks at Cor again silently.There was nothing from his liege for a long while. Regis barely even casts a glance at Cor’s blade and chooses to stride past his Marshal, laying a hand on his shoulder before moving forward and taking a seat on the couch. His eyes closed. The King has made his judgement. 

Cor takes a deep breath before he lays it on the younger crew before him.

“I rescued Prompto as a baby from a literal hell.I kept Prompto safe for 20 whole years.I will be damned if you think I enjoy the fact that my son is putting himself in danger. With his past and me being so close to the Crown, I deliberately made sure he could live a normal life safely. Away from all the dangers he could have gotten simply by association! Yet, his entire life not once did he asked us for anything. Did you know what was the first damn thing he had sincerely asked for,your Highness?”

Noctis eyes the Marshal silently.Defiant.

“To be your friend.”

Ignis looks up at the decorated ceiling, breathing in time as if he is trying to hold on to whatever strength left in him. Luna trying to keep her composure but holding onto every word from her friend’s father.

“After that incident when you both were 15, he made his second wish.” Cor steps closer towards Noctis, putting his point across as he approached.”Do you want to hear what it was?”

“To be able to protect you by your side. So that your friendship will not be a weakness for you.”

Gladio turns around and hisses a curse.The younger Shield cannot process this mess and emotions in him all at once.

”As the Marshal, I do not hold any opinions, but as a father-” his knuckles cracked and Cor trails off, chewing his inner cheek.”I can only respect his wishes.”The Marshal of the Crownsguard then turns around, grabbing his katana from Clarus’ outstretch arm and saluting to his superiors, before sharply leaving the room.

Noctis hands are shaking. Not from anger. The feeling completely overtaken by a cold fear.

Its his fault.Its all his fault-

“Get ready, we are leaving for Tenebrae.” Nyx’s voice cuts through the fog in the Prince’s mind.”Now.”

“But, Prom-“ Luna starts but Regis interrupts at long last.

“Princess Lunafreya. We must not delay any longer.Tenebrae must be secured first.”He looks towards Ravus,” It is time for the land of the Oracles to be liberated.”

“I do not understand your majesty-“ Ignis tries to reason but he gets cut off by his King.

“All you need to know is that we have a battle to fight.” Regis replies, looking towards Noctis pointedly.”And you have your duty to the people as Crown Prince above everything else.”

With that he leaves, inviting Ravus to walk with him.Clarus following closely behind.

“Have faith in him.” Clarus tells them over his shoulder before he too steps out of the room.

The younger crew mulls in silence.Helpless.

——

The Niflheim army clashed with the joined forces of Lucis, Tenebrae. The waves of MT are relentless but as soon as it started, the numbers dwindled. With the support of Arenea’s faction after some bargaining on Ravus’ side, they manage to secure Fenestala Manor and half of the Tenebraen borders. Loqi and his men suddenly retreated mid-way through the battle, leaving behind forces of automated MTs that were quickly decimated. Whereas Ravus and Luna managed to capture Caligo Ulldor and is sentenced to death by the newly re-instated rulers of Tenebrae.

“Report.” Cor barks out as Nyx arrives into the safe room in Fenestala Manor with Noctis, Ignis and Gladio behind.

“Tummelt bloody fucking got away.” Nyx growls in annoyance, while Crowe rolls her eyes and slaps a potion behind her Captain.He glares at her, which was as useful as glaring at a moggle. Useless.

“MTs numbers have dropped too, but they are still significant.” Monica adds, fiddling with her coms and devices as Regis takes all the information in.”We still have the North and Western areas unsecured.” 

“Time?” Nyx asks Cor softly as he throws his ruined coat aside. While Ignis gets his prince and shield some curatives while Luna arrives in with her ladies in waiting with more resources.

“2 more hou-“

“Zero. Zero hours.” 

Noctis looks up. As does the other two beside him. Luna freezes completely.

“Prom?”

“M-MARSHAL!” Monica shouts at Cor who all but pushes Monica away with Nyx,who snatches the receiver mic and demands.

“Where was the first place we met?” 

“Really, out of all the questions? Baba? I was like 4?”

“Answer it.”

“Outside the Citadel Square, the corner behind the Queen’s Fountain.” Nyx lets out a loud sigh of relief and a couple of words in Galah similar to a prayer.While the tension on Cor’s shoulder finally goes slack as Clarus slaps a comforting hand on his brother’s shoulder.

Noctis throws down the warm towel and nearly warps in front of the coms along with the rest. There, battered, exhausted but alive was Prompto, dressed warmly and armed, nursing a can of ebony.

“PROM!”

“Hey Noct, you doing okay?How are you, Luna?Guys?” Prompto perks up brightly, seeing his friends.Trust him to ask about them first when the person who was captured was him.

“Don’t hey me you-”Noctis wants to shake the blond so badly,”what-“

“Report, Crownsguard Leonis.” Cor cuts in, watching Prompto keenly, observing. Prompto pauses, chewing his lip before taking a deep breath.

“Verstael is dead.”Prompto pauses for a moment,” I killed him.”

There was silence.

“You did good.”Cor replies calmly.”Are you in a secure area?”

“Yeah,I mean.Yes.Theres no more MT troops left here.No civilians sighted so far either- G-give me something secure, I’ll send some data over.”Prompto gets to work, clacking away at the system before him.

“Monica.”

“Roger.On it.”

“I’m sorry I took so long.”Prompto adds slowly,”I-I had to find a working facility with transmission.Theres literally nothing where they kept me.I-I’m sending over the remaining MT locations and outposts.Theres a few jammers here too, you can’t use magic in those areas.They also added anti aircraft walls once they confirmed defectors from the Empire. The whole Nifelheim is abandoned,I think they brought all the civilians into Gralea but I’m not sure, still too far out to tell.They-He…He daemonified everyone.He destroyed every living breathing thing he could find and-”Prompto trails off, clearly unsure how to go on.

“Breathe, Prompto. Where did they kept you in?” Cor asks.

“First Magitek Production Facility.”

The Marshal hisses.He remembers that accursed place.While the data ping-ed and Clarus helps Monica to break down and passes on the info to Regis.Who then barks out orders to his Glaives and the joined armies.

“I,I heard you guys are in Tenebrae, how is it?”

“Hanging in there.”Nyx supplies softly,”How are you kiddo?Do we need to extract you?”

“Just.Tired but-” Prompto looks at Cor carefully,”if it helps, I think want to keep on going here. I mean, there’s still a number of the MT production lines. Just need to blow them up once I slip in. I can find an easier way for Lucis to enter Niflheim from my end too.”

“Prom, no, its not safe, we can get you-” Gladio adds before he can stop himself and casts a glance at his father.

Prompto chews his lip wearily as he fiddles his Ebony can.

“Its not necessary.But- You think you can do that?Are you confident, Prompto?”The elder Leonis pushes on, keeping an eye on Prompto’s behaviour while skimming through the data. There’s so much.

“…Yes.Just…I-I need to do this.”

“Okay.” Cor relents,”I hear you. Keep your check ins.” There’s a cough at the back that sounded like Regis but the Marshal ignores it.”Do not overestimate yourself. Remember what we taught you. Your safety is first and that’s an order, am I clear? Prompto Leonis.”

“Yes sir.”

“I’ll see you soon, son.”

“Thanks dad. Noct?” Prompto smiles at his friend who shuffles nearer to the screen,”I’ll see you soon! Luna! Make sure you guys win back Tenebrae!”

“Prom..?”Luna doesn’t know where to start, still guilty that in saving her, her friend was caught by the enemy for her sake.

“It, it’ll be all okay,Lu!” Prompto beams at the Princess,”See you guys soon, okay? Take care, Noct.”

The video cuts and the Prince looks towards his father and his retinue, the younger crew demanding answers quietly.

“What the fuck?” Noctis starts, breaking the silence.Regis sighs wearily, pinching the bridge of his nose in effort to hold off an incoming headache.

“You need to tell them,Cor. Prompto is officially his retainer after all.”

Cor and Nyx share a look, before the Marshal addresses the Prince’s question.

“Did you honestly think I would have sent my son out of Insomnia with you defenceless?”Cor dryly asks the boys.

That hits Ignis immediately.The young advisor casts a glance at the Marshal, then to the Captain, across to the King and Shield.

“He trained and passed his Crownsguard exam.”Ignis starts to ponder aloud,”In a very short time.Before we left Insomnia.”

“Prompto already covered the basics since he was 16.”Nyx smirks,”though I’m sure you all thought otherwise. His exam was something else.”

A memory hits Noctis, back in their high school days, his exhausted friend, the need to keep up with part time work, school and exams… Yet his friend never failed to keep him company. Always there by his side with a smile and his favourite camera.

“Well he don’t fight as a trained Crownsguard that’s for sure.” Gladio points out and that earns him a laugh from the Captain.

“Then it means his training paid off! And all this?”Nyx points to the new maps of enemy territory and numbers,”is proof that his hardwork was worth it.This is not basic crownsguard work, Amicitia, this is more of Glaives work.”

Now Noctis is just pain confused,” what do you mean? Prompto trained as a Kingsglaive but took the Crownsguard test? That still explains nothing.”

“We don’t have the time to train him everything either. Do you see who willingly joined your ranks simply because of his devotion to you, your Highness?”Nyx brandishes the information in his hand proudly,” Prom grew up in Little Galahd, a bloody dense maze in itself. You can’t catch him if he doesn’t want you to. He can adapt to unfamiliar territory with his speed and stealth.That on top of his endurance and tenacity?” The captain of the Kingsglaive simply grins.

“His gentle personality as a whole will get the enemy to underestimate him. We all know that your bond with him can, and will be used against you as Crown Prince. Prompto simply removed that from the equation for you.” Cor adds calmly.”And if necessary, became a weapon instead.”

“A spy?” Ignis breathes out incredulously, finally linking the dots. Prompto fights less than average simply because they have been always engaging enemies in large numbers and in wide areas. Or against the wildlife. The blond was not trained to fight like them. Their sunshine was meant for the silence and shadows.

“No. But very close.” Clarus finally can’t stand the roundabout talks any longer.”You already have an advisor and a guard in your retinue. He is much more suitable in a different role, one that requires secrecy and mental fortitude. Or in worse case scenario, if you are all in the enemy’s hands. These two gremlins here literally gave you an assassin.”

That earned him a dark chuckle from the King’s Sword himself, who is glowing with pride,”Like I said.I won’t send my son out defenceless. I have never denied Prompto anything in his life. So when he made his request, you damn well bet that I made sure he makes it.”

“And yet he works better as a Glaive, riiiiight?” Nyx gives Cor a wide grin and nudges his husband incessantly.”Come ooon,say it.”

“Fine. He works better as a Kingsglaive.”Cor side eyes his husband.”Happy?”

“Very.”Nyx laughs,”But his style is all yours.” That sufficiently pleases the older Leonis.

Noctis is still reeling in from the shock.His best friend? Trained as an assassin? The boy won’t even hurt a Chocobo, yet, Cor and Nyx’s words haunt him. Prompto had chosen this because of him-

“Prompto had chosen you. Just as you had chosen him. His loyalty and devotion is not to the crown.Its to you and only you.Your Highness.” Cor pauses for a moments if sensing the young Prince’s dilemma, “he made it so that you didn’t have to choose between him or your duty.So, win this Battle for Tenebrae. My son is still waiting for us in Niflheim.”

Noctis knows. Now determined more than ever to push on.

——

With Prompto’s infiltration into enemy territories and constant intel, the Lucian army quickly recovers Tenebrae and presses on into Niflheim’s domain. Apart from a giant dead magitek worm and various dead magitek beasts, the Kingsglaive quickly occupies all the outposts and overtakes the strongholds where Prompto has destroyed the magic jammers.

“Theres soooo many Ebony machines, how does Niflehiem not get caffeine poisoning?” Prompto whines over the feed while sending another batch of data.

 They are getting closer to meeting up now that Noct has taken a detour to make a covenant with Garuda, a lost Messenger that Prompto stumbled upon. Cor and Nyx allowing the boys to talk while they sort out reports with Regis and Clarus. Whereas the rest of the glaives and guards with them are taking a breather.Cor, however, looking worse for wear with the recent troubled sleep, forcing him to let Nyx handle a bulk of the work. Noctis overhears the couple talking something like ‘dreams’ or ‘premonitions’ and ‘hurry’ but the prince quickly ducks out before he finds himself at the ire of the Immortal Shogun and the Hero of the Kingsglaives. He still likes living, thanks.

“I’m sure you can’t die of a little coffee, darling.”Ignis muses.

“Prrrroooom.”The prince huffs, trying to get his attention as childish as it seems but he misses his best friend.

“Noccccct!” Prompto pouts along,”I miss you guys!”

“Miss you too sunshine. We’ll be catching up with you soon, then we’ll enter the Gralea borders together.Just hang tight till then. Prince Charmless has been extra annoying without you.” Gladio grins at his youngest friend, glad to see him well.

“OI.”

“I want curry Iggy! I’m sick of cold steaks.Theres literally nothing he-”Prompto stops halfway and swerves around instantly with his gun already in hand. Before a shadow slams his lithe frame onto the console causing distortion on the feed.

“PROMPTO!?” the crew yells, helpless, while Cor and Nyx rushes over and takes the comms from the boys.

There, before their eyes was Ardyn Izunia, with a dark inky claw digging into Prompto’s neck in a chokehold.His eyes dripping with darkness.

“Well,well, looks like I found a wild lil chocobo out of his cage~”

“F-fuuuck eu-” Prompto struggles to claw free while getting his spare gun but the daemonic man is faster and slams the blonde onto the console with an inhumane amount of force.Dark liquid drips.There was blood on the screen.

“ARDYN! Get the fuck away from Prompto I swea-“

“Now now your royal highness, don’t need to panic. He’s still breathing. Barely. But still,I digress.” Ardyn smiles menacingly,”Come to Gralea if you wish to have your lil friend back.He’ll be there, along with your precious Crystal. Don’t worry, I won’t kill him just yet.”

“IZUNIA!”Nyx snarls but the feed gets disconnected just as Prompto’s painful cries begin.Cor ignores everything else, shoving the comms aside and summons his katanas, roaring at the men to get moving. Regis and Clarus already on their feet as Nyx barks out orders for his glaives while Dustin and Libertus relays info to the rest of their forces. Noctis summons his sword while Gladio and Ignis follow quickly. Their friend is in danger. 

They have gotten too complacent.

——

The Empire soon kneels before King Regis and his men in the bowels of a ruined capital amongst the dead daemons. Loqi Tummelt and his tiny charge with a handful of civilians surrender as Lucis tears Gralea apart. All of the Kingsglaive and Crownsguard carrying out a simple order on top of their main objective.

Find Crownsguard Prompto Leonis. At all costs.

——

When they finally reunite with their lost friend. In the depths of a cold abyss where the Crystal sits with an unconscious chancellor of Niflheim laying the the ground as the light of death fades from his now mortal form. While someone else that is clearly not Prompto, challenges the Astral within the Crystal, bearing eyes brimming full with power. 

It was a God.

[tealquacks]

The Flowers of Tenebrae

for the first day @lunoctweek , also posted on Ao3

https://archiveofourown.org/works/29720592

Enjoy!

They stopped the train to let the civilians out at Tenebrae. It was the best decision they could make, Noctis ordering the conductor to stop while Luna went through the train, healing whomever she could. And she promised each and every one of them that they would be safe in Tenebrae. They looked at her with big, hopeful eyes, and Luna felt grateful to be alive in that moment. Tenebrae would keep them safe. 

When the train stopped, Tenebrae burned.

Ash fell like snow from the darkened sky, smoke billowing in thick clouds. Luna could almost see the fire burning, nestled in the heart of the castle she once called home. The civilians rushed off the train in a confused hoard, a few of them bumping into her. She didn’t move. She could hear their panicked whispers, children crying, and her home burned.

Luna closed her eyes and tried to imagine the place she’d grown up loving, the place she’d met Noct at, but no matter how tightly she squeezed her eyes and prayed to gods who didn’t seem to listen, she still smelt the smoke. It burned her lungs. Just like drowning. For a moment, her mind took her back to the shrine to Leviathan, a wall of water slamming into her as the world around her crumbled like a pastry, not being able to breathe, lungs burning.

Her legs had carried her across the bridge from the train station. Mud squelched under her shoes as she walked, the feathery petals of Sylleblossoms leaving dew drops on her pants. People walked around in an almost casual way, as if her home wasn’t burning, as if she hadn’t lied to all these people, told them they’d be safe and protected. If fate was written by the gods, she’d have to have a word with them. Curing the scourge was one thing, but endangering the lives of all these innocents…

“Luna?” Noct asked quietly. Luna flinched as he set his hand on her shoulder, then sighed. She took his hand.

“I’m okay, love, just thinking.”

“About what?”

“Blasphemous things,” she said solemnly. Noctis laughed awkwardly, as if she was joking. Maybe he was just trying to lighten the mood.

He squeezed her hand in his.

“I’m sorry. I really am. I… I’ve lost my home, too, and it hurts so much. And well, uh, I didn’t move on? But I tried to ignore it, since I had to. It sucks.”

Luna couldn’t help but give an amused chuckle, gently squeezing Noct’s hand back. Noct never was good with words, awkward at the best of times, but he was always sincere. 

“I don’t know what upsets me more,” Luna mumbled, “seeing my home burn, or knowing that these people have to travel even more just to be safe.”

Noct let go of her hand, instead setting both of his hands on her shoulders. They felt warm, even through the fabric of the black jacket she wore. He looked at her with a soft expression— thats all she could think of it as. Not pitying, or sad, just soft. 

“Luna, I am so, so sorry. If it makes you feel any better, though, Aranea is going to get these people out of here. She has a drop ship, and can get them somewhere safe. After that, we can start making our way to Graela, the Crystal—“

“—and I can give the Draconian a piece of my mind,” Luna interrupted. Noct made a face.

“Huh?”

She looked at Noct. Noct stepped forward, one of his hands setting itself at the small of her back. She stepped forward, letting Noct envelop her in a warm, familiar hug, the smell of the outdoors plastered to his pale skin. She buried her face in his shoulder, trying to get the smoke out of her nose. Noct gently pet her hair, occasionally tangling his fingers in the silky strands.

“Please don’t do anything stupid,” he mumbled. Luna couldn’t help but laugh.

“Maybe I am a good influence on you,” Luna said. Noct huffed.

“I’m serious, dear… why the Draconian, though?”

Luna breathed out against Noct’s shoulder. 

“Bahamut is the one who wove this fate of ours, the one who planned all. I was meant to die while making the covenant with Leviathan, and yet, I survived. I’m afraid that the lives of these people are at risk because I avoided fate. When I confront the Draconian, I will tell him to leave the people alone.”

A beat of silence passed between them.

“Luna,” Noctis whispered. She felt his breath against her ear.

“I am the people’s Oracle. A healer. It is my duty to protect the innocent, no matter what the cost is. If it is my own life, then so be it.”

Noct squeezed her even tighter, and she could feel him tremble ever so slightly.

“Yes, you’re their Oracle, but you’re my Luna,” he said hoarsely, “the Luna who told me all I know about gods and stars and all that. The Luna that showed me all the secret places in Tenebrae, the Luna who sent me messages and pressed sylleblossoms in a book, the Luna who can talk to gods without flinching,” Noct’s voice wavered as he sniffled against her, “my best friend, the love of my life. My Luna. I’m not letting you sacrifice yourself.”

“Me neither,” Luna said, voice thick with tears.

“If Bahamut is going to hurt people just because we don’t do what he says,” Noct whispered intensely, “then let’s kill him.”

Luna pulled away from his arms, blinking up at him in shock. He had that determined look on his face, the one he got while fighting Leviathan, or when they were playing Kings Knight on the train. Any question of his sincerity died on her lips. When Noct got that look, he would do whatever he could to reach his goal.

“Noct—“

“—We can commune with the other gods. Tell them that we don’t want to follow Bahamut’s fate. Convince them to join us, fight with us—“

“Noct.”

“I’m being serious, Luna, I mean, Gladio, Prompto, Iggy, you and I could certainly fuck up a god—“

“Adagium could help us.”

Noct stared at her in a way that made her wonder if there was anything behind those eyes of his. 

“Who?”

Luna sighed. 

“Adagium. The carrier of the scourge, the accursed one. Ardyn Izunia.”

Noct froze.

“No way.”

“Yes, way,” Luna replied.

“And here I thought he was a creepy old guy!” Noctis exclaimed. Luna smiled, tilting her head a little bit.

“Well, you got that part right. He’s an immortal creepy old guy. So the next time we meet him, we must make it known we’re keen on killing the Draconian.”

“And what do we do until then?”

Luna sighed. She looked at the burning ruins of her home, then down to her feet. Even amongst the ruin, Sylleblossoms grew from the wet earth, as bright and persistent as ever. Just like they did when they were children, and somehow Luna knew that they always would be there. Even if it wasn’t quite the same, the flowers would dot the land of Tenebrae. 

She crouched down, and gently plucked a sylleblossom from the earth.

“We stand by one another, my love.” 

Noct gently took the flower from her hand, a small smile gracing his face. He leaned in, and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

“We will, we’ll be together. No matter what.”

He said it like a promise. Luna looked over at the burning castle of Tenebrae, then back at Noct. 

She kissed him as softly as she could, their lips hardly ghosting together, and thought of a perfect world where every promise would be kept, and every flower would bloom forever.

[stainedglassgardens]

Favourite films watched in 2020

In no particular order:

Katalin Varga (Peter Strickland, 2009) The Gleaners and I (Les Glaneurs et la glaneuse, Agnès Varda, 2000) Land of Silence and Darkness (Land des Schweigens und der Dunkelheit, Werner Herzog, 1971) Post Tenebras Lux (Carlos Reygadas, 2012) The Return (Возвращение, Andrey Zvyaginstev, 2003) The Grand Bizarre (Jodie Mack, 2018) Transnistra (Anna Eborn, 2019) Ghost Town Anthology (Répertoire des villes disparues, Denis Côté, 2019) The Petrified Forest (Archie Mayo, 1936) Viy (Вий, Georgiy Kropachyov & Konstantin Ershov, 1967)

Complete list of all 323 films watched in 2020 under the cut!

January

Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (Gurinder Chadha, 2008) Blade (Steven Norrington, 1998) Who Among Us! (Abhishek Prasad and Rebecca Kahn, 2019) Brotherhood (Meryam Joobeur, 2018) Disctrict 9 (Neill Blomkamp, 2009) Hair Love (Matthew A. Cherry and Karen Rupert Toliver, 2019) Kitbull (Rosana Sullivan, 2019) Sister (妹妹, Siqi Song, 2019) Nuts! (Penny Lane, 2016) The Judge (Erika Cohn, 2017) The Ghosts of Sugar Land (Bassam Tariq, 2019) Amazonia (Dominic Hicks, 2018) Dearborn Ash (Hena Ashraf, 2018) Pineal (Jenny Rinta-Kanto, 2019) Headcleaner (Nick Scott, 2019) Rattlesnake (Zak Hilditch, 2019) The Neon Demon (Nicolas Winding Refn, 2016) Skin (Audrey Rosenberg, 2018) The Banishment (Изгнание, Andrey Zvyagintsev, 2007) F is for Friendship (Shaya Mulcahy, 2016) Paradise Hills (Alice Waddington, 2019) Road House (Rowdy Herrington, 1989) Hustlers (Lorene Scafaria, 2019) I Believe in Unicorns (Leah Meyerhoff, 2014) Ghost Train (Lee Cronin, 2014) Troop Zero (Bert & Bertie, 2019) For the Love of God (Pour l'Amour de Dieu, Micheline Lanctôt, 2011)

February

Sitting Next to Zoe (Ivana Lalović, 2013) Dark Places (Gilles Paquet-Brenner, 2015) Nocturnal Animals (Tom Ford, 2016) The Limey (Steven Soderbergh, 1999) Side Effects (Steven Soderbergh, 2013) Good Sam (Kate Melville, 2019) Anima (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2019) What Did Jack Do? (David Lynch, 2017) Fleur de tonnerre (Stéphanie Pillonca, 2016) Parasite (Bong Joon-ho, 2019) The Field Guide to Evil (Peter Strickland, Veronika Franz & Severin Fiala, Katrin Gebbe, Yannis Veslemes, Ashim Ahluwalia, Agnieszka Smoczynska, Can Evrenol, Calvin Reeder, 2018) Devil (John Eric Dowdle, 2010) 37 Seconds (Hikari, 2019) The Falling (Carol Morley, 2014) Grave of the Fireflies (火垂るの墓, Hotaru no Haka, Isao Takahata, 1988) Elena (Елена, Andrey Zvyagintsev, 2011) The Lighthouse (Robert Eggers, 2019) Baskin (Can Evrenol, 2015) In Fabric (Peter Strickland, 2018) Leviathan (Левиаф��н, Andrey Zvyagintsev, 2014) Suffragette (Sarah Gavron, 2015)

March

The East (Zal Batmanglij, 2013) Solaris (Солярис, Andrei Tarkovsky, 1972) Mamma Mia! (Phyllida Lloyd, 2008) There Will Be Blood (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2007) Io (Jonathan Helpert, 2019) The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson (David France, 2017) A Bump Along the Way (Shelly Love, 2019) Color Out of Space (Richard Stanley, 2019) Divines (Houda Benyamina, 2016) Vanishing Waves (Kristina Buožytė, 2012) Mirror (Зеркало, Andrei Tarkovsky, 1975) Zama (Lucrecia Martel, 2017) Swallow (Carlo Mirabella-Davis, 2019) Joy (Sudabeh Mortezai, 2018) Good Time (Josh and Benny Safdie, 2017) Quarantine (John Eric Dowdle, 2008) The Reflecting Skin (Philip Ridley, 1990) Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri (Martin McDonagh, 2017) Leto (Лето,  Kirill Serebrennikov, 2018) The 39 Steps (Alfred Hitchcock, 1935)

April

Queen of Earth (Alex Ross Perry, 2015) Black Christmas (Sophia Takal, 2019) Dogs of Chernobyl (Léa Camilleri & Hugo Chesnel, 2020) Firecrackers (Jasmin Mozaffari, 2018) Les Misérables (Ladj Ly, 2019) The Evil Dead (Sam Raimi, 1981) The Daughters of Fire (Las hijas del fuego, Albertina Carri, 2018) The Fallen Idol (Carol Reed, 1948) The Wailing (곡성, Gokseong, Na Hong-jin, 2016) Inherent Vice (Paul Thomas Anderson, 2014) Sorrowful Shadow (Guy Maddin, 2004) Mistery Lonely (Harmony Korine, 2007) The Grand Bizarre (Jodie Mack, 2018) Zombieland: Double Tap (Ruben Fleischer, 2019) Waves '98 (Ely Dagher, 2015) Uncut Gems (Josh and Benny Safdie, 2019) The Last Séance (Laura Kulik, 2018) Too Late to Die Young (Tarde para morir joven, Dominga Sotomayor Castillo, 2018) Room (Lenny Abrahamson, 2015) Queen & Slim (Melina Matsoukas, 2019) The Holy Mountain (La montaña sagrada, Alejandro Jodorowsky, 1973) The Chaser ( 추격자, Chugyeokja, Na Hong-jin, 2008) Made in Dagenham (Nigel Cole, 2010) The Color of Pomegranates (Նռան գույնը, Nřan guynə, Sergei Parajanov, 1969) Lost Girls (Liz Garbus, 2020) Ghost Town Anthology (Répertoire des villes disparues, Denis Côté, 2019) And Then There Were None (René Clair, 1945) Doctor Sleep (Mike Flanagan, 2019) Meshes of the Afternoon (Maya Deren and Alexander Hammid, 1943) Circus of Books (Rachel Mason, 2019) Catfish (Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, 2010) Wildling (Fritz Böhm, 2018) Delphine (Chloé Robichaud, 2019) The Strange Love of Martha Ivers (Lewis Milestone, 1946) The Red Balloon (Le Ballon rouge, Albert Lamorisse, 1956) Nona. If They Soak Me, I’ll Burn Them (Nona. Si me mojan, yo los quemo, Camila José Donoso, 2019) The Lodge (Veronika Franz & Severin Fiala, 2019) Invisible Man (Leigh Whannell, 2020) Sans Soleil (Chris Marker, 1983)

May

A Russian Youth (Мальчик русский, Alexander Zolotukhin, 2019) Sicario (Denis Villeneuve, 2015) Fedora (Billy Wilder, 1978) LoveTrue (Alma Har'el, 2016) The Platform (Galder Gaztelu-Urrutia, 2019) Water Lilies (Naissance des pieuvres, Céline Sciamma, 2007) The Assistant (Kitty Green, 2019) The Half of It (Alice Wu, 2020) Tomboy (Céline Sciamma, 2011) The Last Man on Earth (Ubaldo Ragona and Sidney Salkow, 1964) Beanpole (Дылда, Kantemir Balagov, 2019) Mommy (Xavier Dolan, 2014) The Fall (Jonathan Glazer, 2020) Girlhood (Bande de filles, Céline Sciamma, 2014) Carnival of Souls (Herk Harvey, 1962) Marguerite & Julien (Valérie Donzelli, 2015) Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Portrait de la jeune fille en feu, Céline Sciamma, 2019) This Magnificent Cake! (Ce Magnifique Gâteau!, Emma De Swaef & Marc James Roels, 2018) Romantic Comedy (Elizabeth Sankey, 2019) Transnistra (Anna Eborn, 2019) Eraserhhead (David Lynch, 1977) The Farewell (Lulu Wang, 2019) Emma. (Autumn de Wilde, 2020) Late Night (Nisha Ganatra, 2019) Charlie's Angels (Elizabeth Banks, 2019) Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (Cathy Yan, 2020) The Ancestors Came (Cecile Emeke, 2017) Suicide by Sunlight (Nikyatu Jusu, 2019) Anthropocene: The Human Epoch (Edward Burtynsky, Jennifer Baichwal, Nicholas de Pencier, 2018) A Perfect 14 (Giovanna Morales Vargas, 2018) Westwood: Punk, Icon, Activist (Lorna Tucker, 2018) Free Radicals (Len Lye, 1958) Aniara (Pella Kågerman and Hugo Lilja, 2018) Vivarium (Lorcan Finnegan, 2019) La Pointe-Courte (Agnès Varda, 1955) Diary of a Pregnant Woman (L'Opéra-Mouffe, Agnès Varda, 1958) Salut les Cubains (Agnès Varda, 1964) Uncle Yanco (Oncle Yanco, Agnès Varda, 1967) GUO4 (Peter Strickland, 2019) Atlantiques (Mati Diop, 2009) Sitara: Let Girls Dream (Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, 2019) Lions Love (Lions Love... And Lies, Agnès Varda, 1969) Živan Makes a Punk Festival (Živan pravi pank festival, Ognjen Glavonić, 2014) Plastic and Glass (Tessa Joosse, 2009) The So-Called Caryatids (Les Dites Cariatides, Agnès Varda, 1984) The Octopus (La Pieuvre, Jean Painlevé, 1928) Hyas and Stenorhynchus (Hyas et sténorinques, crustacés marins, Jean Painlevé, 1929) Sea Urchins (Les Oursins, Jean Painlevé, 1929) Bernard-L'Hermite (Bernard-l'Ermite, Jean Painlevé, 1930) The Sea Horse (L'Hippocampe ou "cheval marin", Jean Painlevé, 1934) Voyage to the Sky (Voyage dans le ciel, Jean Painlevé, 1937) Le Vampire (Jean Painlevé, 1945) Freshwater Assassins (Assassins d'eau douce, Jean Painlevé, 1947) How Some Jellyfish Are Born (Comment naissent des méduses, Jean Painlevé and Geneviève Hamon, 1960) Shrimp Stories (Histoires de crevettes, Jean Painlevé and Geneviève Hamon, 1964) The Love Life of the Octopus (Les Amours de la pieuvre, Jean Painlevé and Geneviève Hamon, 1965) Acera, or The Witches' Dance (Acera, ou le Bal des Sorcières, Jean Painlevé and Geneviève Hamon, 1972) Pigeons of the Square (Les Pigeons du square, Jean Painlevé, 1982) The Slumber Party Massacre (Amy Holden Jones, 1982) Jane B. par Agnès V. (Agnès Varda, 1988) The Cranes Are Flying (Летят журавли, Mikhail Kalatozov, 1957) Crystal Swan (Хрусталь, Darya Zhuk, 2018) Take Me Somewhere Nice (Ena Sendijarević, 2019) Microhabitat ( 소공녀, Jeon Go-woon, 2017) The Unforeseen (Laura Dunn, 2007)

June

Funny Games (Michael Haneke, 1997) Louise Bourgeois: The Spider, the Mistress and the Tangerine (Marion Cajori and Amei Wallach, 2008) Wodaabe: Herdsmen of the Sun (Werner Herzog, 1989) Bells from the Deep: Faith and Superstition in Russia (Glocken aus der Tiefe - Glaube und Aberglaube in Russland, Werner Herzog, 1993) We Are the Best! (Vi är bäst!, Lukas Moodysson, 2013) Olla (Ariane Labed, 2019) Return to Reason (Le Retour à la raison, Man Ray, 1923) Ghosts Before Breakfast (Vormittagsspuk, Hans Richter, 1928) Sissy Boy Slap Party (Guy Maddin, 2004) The Republic of Enchanters (La République des enchanteurs, Fanny Liatard and Jérémy Trouilh, 2016) Sullivan's Banks (Sullivans Banken, Heinz Emigholz, 2000) Black Panthers (Agnès Varda, 1970) Asparagus (Suzan Pitt, 1979) America (Valérie Massadian, 2013) The Fall (Tarsem Singh, 2006) The Watermelon Woman (Cheryl Dunye, 1996) Douce Menace (Ludovic Habas, Yoan Sender, Margaux Vaxelaire, Mickaël Krebs, Florent Rousseau, 2011) Curling (Denis Côté, 2010) Trouble Every Day (Claire Denis, 2001) The Return (Возвращение, Andrey Zvyaginstev, 2003) Maillart's Bridges (Maillarts Brücken, Heinz Emigholz, 2000) Two Years at Sea (Ben Rivers, 2011) The Creeping Garden (Tim Grabham and Jasper Sharp, 2014) Homo Sapiens (Nikolaus Geyrhalter, 2016) A Radiant Life (Une Vie radieuse, Meryll Hardt, 2013) Shirley (Josephine Decker, 2020) Disclosure (Sam Feder, 2020) Baghead (Mark Duplass and Jay Duplass, 2008) Lahemaa (Leslie Lagier, 2010) Closeness (Теснота, Kantemir Balagov, 2017) Touki Bouki (Djibril Diop Mambéty, 1973) Daughter (Dcera, Daria Kashcheeva, 2019) Human Nature (Sverre Fredriksen, 2019) 1 Dimension (一维, Lü Yue, 2013)

July

Post Tenebras Lux (Carlos Reygadas, 2012) Something to Remember (Något Att Minnas, Niki Lindroth Von Bahr, 2019) Gegenüber (Ewa Wikiel, 2019) The Claudia Kishi Club (Sue Ding, 2020) Villa Empain (Katharina Kastner, 2019) Fata Morgana (Werner Herzog, 1971) Some Like It Hot (Billy Wilder,1959) Breakwater (Quebramar, Cris Lyra, 2019) Y a-t-il une vierge encore vivante? (Bertrand Mandico, 2015) Virus Tropical (Santiago Caicedo, 2017) The Tribe (Племя, Miroslav Slaboshpitsky, 2014) Integration Report 1 (Madeline Anderson, 1960) Tribute to Malcolm X (Madeline Anderson, 1967)

August

The Stopover (Voir du pays, Delphine and Muriel Coulin, 2016) Our Time (Nuestro Tiempo, Carlos Reygadas, 2018) Never Rarely Sometimes Always (Eliza Hittman, 2020) Land of Silence and Darkness (Land des Schweigens und der Dunkelheit, Werner Herzog, 1971) Continental, a Film Without Guns (Continental, un film sans fusil, Stéphane Lafleur, 2007) Spaceship Earth (Matt Wolf, 2020) The Go-Go's (Alison Ellwood, 2020) First Cow (Kelly Reichardt, 2019) Light of My Life (Casey Affleck, 2019) Wadjda (Haifaa al-Mansour, 2012) Spinster (Andrea Dorfman, 2020) Love and Anarchy (Film d'amore e d'anarchia, ovvero: stamattina alle 10, in via dei Fiori, nella nota casa di tolleranza..., Lina Wertmüller, 1973) Shapito Show (Шапито шоу, Sergey Loban, 2011) Charade (Stanley Donen, 1693) Cat People (Jacques Tourneur, 1942) Radioactive (Marjane Satrapi, 2019) Tabloid (Errol Morris, 2010) The Mourning Forest ( 殯の森, Mogari No Mori, Naomi Kawase, 2007) Lilya 4-ever (Lilja 4-ever, Lukas Moodysson, 2002)

September

The Nightingale (Jennifer Kent, 2018) Babyteeth (Shannon Murphy, 2019) Let the Corpses Tan (Laissez bronzer les cadavres, Hélène Cattet & Bruno Forzani, 2017) Wings of Desire (Der Himmel über Berlin, Wim Wenders, 1987) In My Room (Mati Diop, 2020) Katalin Varga (Peter Strickland, 2009) Les 3 Boutons (Agnès Varda, 2015) Somebody (Miranda July, 2014) Öndög (Wang Quan'an, 2019) Strasbourg 1518 (Jonathan Glazer, 2020) Mermaid (Русалка, Anna Melikyan, 2007) The Lighthouse (Маяк, Maria Saakyan, 2006) Phenomena (Dario Argento, 1985) That One Day (Crystal Moselle, 2016) Brigitte (Lynne Ramsay, 2019) The Wedding Singer's Daughter (Haifaa al-Mansour, 2018) Shako Mako (Hailey Gates, 2019) Carmen (Chloë Sevigny, 2017) The Summer of Sangailė (Sangailės Vasara, Alanté Kavaïté, 2015) Hello Apartment (Dakota Fanning, 2018) Seed (Naomi Kawase, 2016) Beyond the Visible: Hilma af Klint (Halina Dyrschka, 2019) Matthias & Maxime (Xavier Dolan, 2019) The Gleaners and I (Les Glaneurs et la glaneuse, Agnès Varda, 2000)

October

American Murder (Jenny Popplewell, 2020) Hereditary (Ari Aster, 2018) Ghostland (Pascal Laugier, 2018) Triangle (Christopher Smith, 2009) The Amityville Horror (Stuart Rosenberg, 1979) The Visit (M. Night Shyamalan, 2015) The House of the Devil (Ti West, 2009) Misery (Rob Reiner, 1990) The Exorcist (William Friedkin, 1973) Coherence (James Ward Byrkit, 2013) Metamorphosis (변신, Kim Hong-sun, 2019) Errementari (Paul Urkijo Alijo, 2017) I Am a Ghost (H.P. Mendoza,2012) The Changeling (Peter Medak, 1980) Witching and Bitching (Las Brujas de Zugarramurdi, Álex de la Iglesia, 2013) Thirst (박쥐, Park Chan-wook, 2009) V/H/S ( Adam Wingard, David Bruckner, Ti West, Glenn McQuaid, Joe Swanberg, Radio Silence, 2012) The Autopsy of Jane Doe (André Øvredal, 2016) Overlord (Julius Avery, 2018) Häxan (Benjamin Christensen, 1922) Viy (Вий, Georgiy Kropachyov & Konstantin Ershov, 1967) Amulet (Romola Garai, 2020) A Bucket of Blood (Roger Corman, 1959) The Wasp Woman (Roger Corman, 1959) Mother! (Darren Aronofsky, 2017) Suspiria (Dario Argento, 1977) The Open House (Matt Angel, Suzanne Coote, 2018)

November

The Damned Don't Cry (Vincent Sherman, 1950) Notorious (Alfred Hitchcock, 1946) While the City Sleeps (Fritz Lang, 1956) The Man Who Wasn't There (Joel Coen, 2001) The Naked City (Jules Dassin, 1948) The Petrified Forest (Archie Mayo, 1936) Croupier (Mike Hodges, 1998) In a Lonely Place (Nicholas Ray, 1950) Elevator to the Gallows (Ascenseur pour l'échafaud, Louis Malle, 1958) Key Largo (John Huston, 1948) Dial M for Murder (Alfred Hitchcock, 1954) The Long Farewell (Долгие проводы, Kira Muratova, 1971) The Killers (Robert Siodmak, 1946) Gun Crazy (Joseph H. Lewis, 1950) Alphaville (Jean-Luc Godard, 1965) Laura (Otto Preminger, 1944) The Third Man (Carol Reed, 1949) Dark City (Alex Proyas, 1998) Night and the City (Jules Dassin, 1950) Ace in the Hole (Billy Wilder, 1951)

December

Nimic (Yorgos Lanthimos, 2020) Elsa la rose (Agnès Varda, 1966) Le Bonheur (Agnès Varda, 1965) Little Girl (Petite Fille, Sébastien Lifshitz, 2020) Cold Meridian (Peter Strickland, 2020) The Fiancés of the Bridge Mac Donald (Les Fiancés du Pont Mac Donald ou (Méfiez-vous des Lunettes Noires)) (Agnès Varda, 1961) Along the Coast (Du côté de la côte, Agnès Varda, 1958) Vic + Flo Saw a Bear (Vic + Flo ont vu un ours, Denis Côté, 2013) Zootopia (Byron Howard, Rich Moore, 2016) It's a Wonderful Life (Frank Capra, 1946) Paddington (Paul King, 2014) Miracle on 34th Street (George Seaton, 1947) High Life (Claire Denis, 2018) Paddington 2 (Paul King, 2017)

[followthestars]

Work was very slow so I got a bit more research done and ended up spending a lot of time figuring out and writing some wouldbuilding that’ll fit into most of my AUs. It’s a long post, so I’m putting it under a read more.

Eos was once known as Etro

Black is the color of the Lucian royal family

Eos was the mother of two children. One of which was the father or Ardyn and Somnus

The story of Eos being imprisoned and killed by the astrals that Final Fantasy Peasant made a video on will be a lost legend

Eos’ original name was erased from history, no one remembers the name Etro of her other domain, the only remember the domain of the Dawn

The StarScourge is an effect of chaos bleeding back into the world on Eos’ death

Bahamut used her heart to create the crystal and gave it to the father of Somnus and Ardyn to guard until the chosen king was born.

Ifrit did love Eos, but it was platonic, he loved her as family.

Retrieving her body left him mortally wounded and infected by the scourge created by chaos. He burned both their bodies upon ravatogh to try and destroy it.

That backfired

Badly

The Lucian royal family used to be able to see the light of the dead, but later generations have lost that ability.

The Oracle line actually stems from blessings from Titan and Bahamut.

The Lucis Caelum line’s full power comes solely from their blood relation to Eos.

They were the ones that learned to use it for battle.

Solheim was destroyed in the battle of the astrals, not because of Ifrit’s rage, but to stop Bahamut Teraflare, though the kingdom was still wiped out by the power.

Ifrit was not fond of humanity, but he tolerated them because Eos loved all living beings.

He tried to hide the fact she was in love with a human and had children with one.

Shiva went behind his back and informed Bahamut.

Ifrit had loved Shiva so much, but he was heartbroken that Eos’ secret was revealed by her and led to the imprisonment and death of one he saw as family.

He never forgives Shiva for that.

Leviathan blames humans for Eos’ “Fall”

Ramuh regrets his part in her being imprisoned as he was the one that brought her in for judgement, thinking Bahamut would not be so harsh.

Titan purposely caught the meteor so Ifrit could hopefully reach Eos before she died. He felt the punishment was too harsh, Eos loved, love should never be a crime. She created life when her domain was always the world of the dead.

The Rogue was the first ruler of Lucis to discover what Eos’ true domain was, the symbol of Lucis used to be the crystal. She changed it to what it is in the game in honor of Eos’ true domain as Lucis’ patron Astral.

Tenebrae’s patron is not Shiva, it is Bahamut

Accordo’s is Leviathan, but they fear their astral too much to acknowledge that anymore.

Shiva had been Niflheim’s patron, until they killed her original body

Ramuh was 100% Galahad’s and he favors his people even now.

Titan is the patron of hunters, surprisingly. Considering a lot of hunts have habitat destruction as the reasoning, it makes sense.

Ifrit had been Solheim’s patron, the other Astrals never paid the kingdom much attention.

Survivors of Solheim used the last bit of their working technology to transform the place Ifrit descended to retrieve Eos into a training ground meant to show the story of what happened to her.

Her corpse is what causes anyone that falls or dies to suddenly reappear at the start of the room unharmed

The entire dungeon is warped by the unseen due to her corpse’s presence.

Covenants with astrals and messengers can actually strengthen the astral blood of a Lucis Caelum.

The crystal becomes the final push for a full awakening and ascension.

This information was hidden from the entire Lucis Caelum line, including from Ardyn, by Bahamut. He made sure they were also unaware that they were descendants of Eos herself.

There are stories and theories over the centuries that Bahamut purposely sired the Lucis Caelum line to ensure the king of light was born.

Considering that he isn’t the patron of the Crown City, and how devote the family used to be to worship of Eos, those theories died fast.

Titan, even trapped under the meteor, granted his blessing to a line of hunters to allow them to trap powerful deamons using the power of the very land instead of their lives. Though the traps created doors with a single key that can unlock them, passed from one family member to the next

Only one of divine blood can open the doors using the key.

The holder of the key can sense those with divine blood, but conditions have to be met for the holder to be allowed to part with the key.

Shiva follows the Oracle line due to orders from Bahamut. She does not agree with the prophecy, but she swore to guide the last oracle when the time came to each astral that needs to be awoken.

Titan has no desire to help with the prophecy and Leviathan cares not. They will only agree with it if the chosen king proves his strength.

Titan does not wish for the prophecy to happen as he feels it is wrong to sacrifice one of Eos’ blood.

Leviathan just does not want anything to do with humans, especially a descendant of the human that led to Eos’ judgment.

Ramuh has some hope that ascending will allow the chosen king to get around his fate of death.

Honestly, if he’s made aware he could jump back into and save his body, a wound to the heart would not be enough to kill an astral after all.

[notsogreatgamer]

Lunafreya

Originally, I had thought I would dislike Lunafreya, simply because of the things I had heard--that she wasn’t well-developed, that her love for Noctis made no sense and, that she was weak. I had thought: how could that many people getting that impression be wrong? I typically don’t like characters that fall in the “damsel-in-distress” category. However, the longer I played the game and grew more exposed to her, the more I realized that this wasn’t true.

Luna has personality and importance. Lunafreya was a pivotal character in the game; her importance to the story was astronomical not just as the Oracle but as a source of hope in the game. Once she died, it felt like all of the lightness in the game had been sucked out because things just got progressively worse for the Chocobros. It is true that she wasn’t fleshed out beyond her dedication to her duty and her private grief over her fate and that of Noctis’ fate, but I was left with the impression that she was serene, private, gentle, and strong. Her strength was quiet. It built like the tides instead of burned like flame.

Additionally, she survived 12 years captive and underneath the empire’s thumb. Yet, despite that, she did not resent King Regis for not coming back for her, for prioritizing Lucis and Noctis. As we see with Ravus, resentment would have been easy. It would have also been misplaced. A common chord in Luna’s personality is self-sacrifice.  

Even at age 12, she chose to sacrifice her freedom for both her brother and the safety of the Lucian royalty. It was always telling to me that the Empire soldiers stopped once Luna stopped. if the invasion of Tenebrae had truly been an attempt at the Lucian royal family it would have been easy to gun him down as he was running away; yet none of the soldiers did so.  

And we see her continually sacrifice her health for the sake of Noctis’ journey and for her calling. It would have been easy for her to grow resentful of the gods, especially when it is clear how much she longs for a normal life and to be a normal woman. Instead, she remained steadfast and dutiful.  

In addition, Luna never comes across as a damsel-in-distress completely to me. In the words of one of my favorite Disney women: “I’m a damsel. I’m in distress. I can handle this.” This is the air Luna gave off. She has an air to me that says composure and poise despite her dire situation. In addition to that, she knows her fate and does not fear it. She does not fear her death; instead, she forges forward knowing the cost. That takes massive strength and courage. 

Lunafreya is also smart. She survives in an Empire controlled manor since she was 12 years old and manages to learn how to navigate political situations with ease and patience. She uses the tragic invasion to slip out of Empire control and somehow stays a few steps ahead of them along her journey. 

And, while I don’t know for certain, it appears to me that she traveled alone to each of the locations we see her in. She does not seem to be accompanied often. This has some lending to her being a capable fighter (even if we only see her “fight” against the Leviathan). With the rites draining her and her lack of a companion, it is rather remarkable that she makes it to Altissa in one piece. (Although I do not rule out Ravus helping her, even with his position as High Commander, he would not leave his sister truly alone; but there was likely little he could do since the Empire was hunting his sister and had imposed a kill order on her head in Insomnia.)

Summary:  I like Luna. 

[echoes-of-the-clockwork]

Book Three: Pestilence (Ignis x Reader) Chapter Twenty-Four

After the events following Ardyn's deception, Noctis promptly called Ignis after regaining consciousness and told him how he was tricked by the man. He told him how he shoved Prompto off the roof of the train, believing it had been Ardyn. The advisor calmed him down, telling him what they had to do first and to rendezvous with him and Gladio.

Before Noctis could tell Ignis about finding (Y/n)'s staff, the train entered a tunnel and the call suddenly dropped. Looking up at the ceiling and sides of the tunnel, he saw myriads of daemons crawling around. The sheer number of them caused him to gape in shock. Tightening his grip on Pestilence's staff, he glared at the horde of enemies. "And things just got worse."

Daemons leapt off the ceiling and walls of the tunnel, landing on the train. Noctis watched the assailants for a few seconds before a faint glow caught his attention. Looking down, he saw (Y/n)'s staff was glowing faintly. The moment he lifted it up, lightning struck the daemons and killed them instantly. The boy gaped in awe when seeing his path was cleared and glanced at the staff once more before proceeding to regroup with Ignis and Gladio.

Noctis used his own magic and grinned when seeing how enhanced it was due to wielding the Horseman's staff. Once defeating another group of daemons, he chuckled. "I gotta get me one of these." He continues to fight through daemon after daemon as he makes his way toward the front car of the train. With every passing wave of enemies, he was becoming irritated and exhausted. "Where do they keep coming from?"

What felt like an eternal struggle, Noctis reaches the front car and realizes it's no longer broad daylight when looking toward the end of the tunnel. Night has begun to fall, which wasn't a good sign. He couldn't believe how quick the sun was setting. "What?! No light at the end of the tunnel?!" Then, he takes notice of many large spider-like daemons hanging from the ceiling ahead of the train. "What in the world...?"

The daemons drop onto the train, which emerges into the rapidly disappearing daylight. The train becomes swarmed as it reaches Tenebrae. Noctis looks toward the distance and stares with wide eyes at Fenestala Manor. His attention was soon redirected to the horde of daemons stalking toward him.

All of a sudden, Leviathan emerges from the valley below and begins unleashing waterspouts at the daemons, knocking them loose and shattering the train's windows. The Tidemother creates another water cyclone, which sucks in the daemons as they are knocked off the train.

Once all the daemons were gone, the Astral vanished. With the assailants gone, Noctis looks back at Fenestala Manor and realized it's burning. He kept his gaze focused on the blazing building until tearing his eyes away. He added (Y/n)'s staff to his arsenal and headed back inside the train.

<----------<<<<<

Arriving in Tenebrae, Noctis, Gladio, and Ignis climb off the train once it rested idly in the station. The raven-haired boy kept glancing at his advisor, wondering when to tell him about Pestilence's staff.

Ignis could sense the boy's jitteriness and looked up at him. While he could still only see shapes and colors, he knew exactly who he was looking at. "Noct, what seems to be the issue?"

"Yeah," Gladio spoke up. "What's the deal?"

A heavy sigh came from Noctis as he held out his hand and conjured (Y/n)'s staff. "I found this in one of the cars." He handed it to Ignis, who used his hands to identify the object when he wasn't familiar with the blurry shape.

The strategist's gloved hands traced the tip of the staff, eyes widening when he finally recognized it. "This is..." His hands gravitated back toward the middle of the weapon.

"Okay, so you found (Y/n)'s staff," Gladio stated. "But where's (Y/n)?"

"How should I know?" Noctis groaned. He pulled out the vial in his pocket and showed it to his shield. "Last time we talked, she gave me this before disappearing. It sounded like she was gonna leave. Maybe she left."

"She would never leave behind her staff," Ignis retorts. "You saw the chancellor, correct?"

"Yeah. Why?"

Ignis wrapped both hands around the staff, grasping it tightly. "I deduce the chancellor's involvement aboard the train is linked to (Y/n)'s disappearance."

Gladio folded his arms across his chest. "And why's that?"

"Upon the altar the day of the rite, he spoke of manipulating her. I fear his plans are coming to fruition." He hung his head, gritting his teeth in frustration. "I've failed in more ways than one..."

"Hold on, Specs," Noctis said. "You're really blaming yourself for all this? Because that's just ridiculous."

"Noct..."

"If that bastard has (Y/n), then we're gonna find her. We're already heading to Gralea to find the Crystal and I bet that's where he took her." The raven-haired boy combed a hand through his unkempt locks. "I hope we find Prompto before we get there, though."

"So we've got the Crystal, a chocobo, and Iggy's girlfriend to find," Gladio said with a brief chortle. "What a list."

<----------<<<<<

Inside one of the labs located in Zegnautus Keep, (Y/n) placed her hands against the glass tube she found herself sealed in. Glancing at one of the computers along the back wall, she noticed the time and realized she'd been trapped for a few days. She pressed her forehead against the frigid glass, praying to the Six the others were safe. Closing her eyes, she listened to the faint beeping of the machines and computers inside the lab.

Suddenly, (Y/n)'s eyes flew open as they traveled over to the mechanical door. It slid open, Ardyn sauntering through with his usual wicked smile plastered on his face. She spotted a few MTs following him, but they waited outside the door. She thought she saw another person among them, but the door closed before she could get a better look.

"Ah, you're awake." The chancellor waltzed over to the console in front of the glass tube. "Welcome to Gralea. Morosely, I will be incapable of giving you the grand tour."

"What possibly could you accomplish by bringing me here?" (Y/n) inquired.

As Ardyn held out his hand and clenched it into a fist, a surge of pain resonated from her chest. She fell to her knees and screamed at the top of her lungs. She tried to fight against it, but she felt her body growing weak and wasn't able to push herself up. It was even difficult for her to raise her head when she heard a small 'click' from the console. "Wh-What...?"

"Now, now. There's no need to fret." Ardyn lifted his hand up from the button he pushed. "This process will be rather equivalent to your time upon the seafloor. In the matter of days, your body and mind shall be mine to command as I see fit." He lowered his hand, the pain vanishing from the girl's chest.

When (Y/n) thought her suffering had ended and she could finally stand back up, another scream erupted from her throat as several needles attached to thick wires plunged into her back. Before she could yank at the wires in an attempt to remove the needles, metallic claw-like clamps pierced her skin to secure them in place. She leaned her body against the glass, glaring at the man on the other side. Her eyes darted down to the console when she saw his hand gravitate toward another button.

Ardyn's hand hovered over it just as they heard a struggle from the other side of the door. He hummed in curiosity as he turned his head before beckoning the MTs to enter the lab. The machines obeyed their master and entered the room, dragging someone along with them.

(Y/n) lifted her gaze from the console and glanced at the magiteks. Her eyes widened when she realized who was reluctantly following them. "Prompto?"

The blonde, who was being restrained by both MTs, looked toward the Horseman imprisoned in the glass tube with wide eyes. "(Y-Y/n)?"

The girl noticed the multiple scratches and bruises across his body. She could tell they were all fresh wounds and desperately wanted to heal him. She placed her hands against the glass, wondering why he was here and not with the others.

Unfortunately, she wouldn't be receiving any answers as she felt the needles in her back begin to inject a substance in her body. She wondered what it was, but it only took mere seconds for her entire body to become paralyzed and for her to receive her answer. Her body collapsed inside the tube.

Pestilence tried moving her fingers, but they didn't budge an inch. She tried to speak and found she could no longer talk. Seeing this, Prompto struggled against the machines restraining him. "Stop!" He bellowed, trying to kick and punch the machines. His eyes narrowed with a sharp glare as he looked at Ardyn. "Let her go!"

The chancellor chuckled at the boy's futile scuffle. "Apologies, dear boy, for I must refuse such a ludicrous declaration." He pressed the button his hand had been hovering over and turned to look back at the Pestilence as water began to fill the tube. "Ta-ta for now, my dear. When you awaken, the final pawn shall be in play."

Due to the paralysis, (Y/n) was helpless. Her body was lifted off the bottom of the tube as the water rose. When it reached the top, her mind relapsed as she remembered the ocean's cold embrace and the endless loop of death. Like before, she could feel the water filtering into her lungs. The last thing she heard before drowning was Prompto's angry and desperate wails as he was dragged out of the lab.

<-----------<<<<<

Inside the dining car, Noctis, Ignis, and Gladio are at one of the booths. After their encounter with Aranea in Tenebrae, she entrusted the train to Biggs and Wedge, who promised to deliver the three safely to Gralea.

Noctis stared out the window, his thoughts filled with his recent encounter with Ardyn and Gentiana. Now he knew for certain where (Y/n) and Prompto were. Looking toward Ignis, he noticed he no longer wore the protective visor and the scars, even the minor ones, were vanishing. He also no longer carried his cane around and now wore his normal glasses. "How're your eyes, Specs?"

"The right eye has mended. Eyesight has returned. Though I cannot say the same for the left," he replied. "While the scarred tissue is gradually receding, visibility is poor."

"Still can see shapes and colors with your right eye though, right?" Gladio asked.

"Yes." He crosses his arms, glancing down at the table. "(Y/n) informed me of the extent of damages to my left eye. It will take more time to mend."

Noctis pulled out the empty vial. "Hope you won't be needing another treatment. We're out."

"What truly matters is I am no longer in need of guidance."

"You sure you don't need the cane?" The brute questioned.

"Yes, Gladio." Ignis looked out the window, admiring the passing scenery with his newly healed right eye. While the blurriness of his left eye disrupted his right eye, he could still see what was what and who was who. Once he tore his gaze from the window, he looked back at his companions. "We should be drawing close to Gralea."

Noctis nodded. "Yeah."

"I can't imagine what it'll be like," Gladio commented.

"Swarming with daemons, but you knew that," the boy scoffed.

"Don't remind me."

"Once we arrive, we'll make for the Keep," the strategist informed the others.

"The Keep?" Noctis parroted.

"Zegnautus. An imperial megafortress said to be impregnable."

"With Prompto, (Y/n), and the Crystal inside it," he added.

"What goes in, must come out," the shield stated. The group fell silent for a brief moment before Gladio shattered it with his deep, gruff voice. "So, are we buying this story that the Crystal can purge daemons?"

"The proof is in the purging, but it does stand to reason," Ignis replied. "We've observed that as the nights have grown longer, the daemon hordes have grown stronger. If they are in fact averse to the Crystal's light, it could save not only Lucis, but the world."

"We'll find out once we take it back," Noctis said.

Suddenly, the train comes screeching to a halt. The group braces themselves to avoid any injuries from the unexpected stop. Gladio's brows furrowed in confusion as to why the train was no longer in motion. "The hell?"

"What is it?" The advisor asked.

"My guess? Something to sidetrack us."

The trio get up and move into the cabin car. As they walk past a series of large windows, the glass begins cracking and the train shakes violently.

"What now?" The brute hissed.

The group's attention was drawn to the train's loudspeaker as Biggs used it to contact them. "City's trying to keep us out...with the daemons." Small imp-like daemons, known as snagas, begin swarming across the windows. The trio saw the cracks beginning to spread as the daemons attacked the glass. They backed away from the windows as Biggs addresses the boys again. "Gotta run! Don't worry about us."

One of the daemons busts through the glass and lands in front of Noctis and the others. He holds out his hand to tell Gladiolus to move back, then attempts to conjure a weapon into his hand. "Let's get to work." When his sword didn't materialize, he looked down at his hand in confusion.

"What's wrong?" Gladio asked, noticing the boy's bewilderment.

"The weapons...they're stuck!"

The shield went I question him further but stopped when he noticed the snaga's movement. "Get back!" He suddenly shouted, pulling Noctis away from the enemy charging at him and kicks it in the face.

"Run!" Ignis bellowed, retreating away from the daemon.

Gladio pats Noctis' shoulder. "C'mon, move it!"

As the three make their way through the train and to the freight car, they were pursued by the daemons. "Only a matter of time before we run out of room to run!" The advisor hollered.

"Got a better idea?" Noctis asked.

"We trade the train for the Regalia!"

"C'mon!" The brute growled when noticing Noctis' slower pace.

"On my way!" The raven-haired boy yelled.

Eventually, the trio make it to the freight car and hop into the Regalia. Noctis gets behind the wheel while Gladio gets in the passenger's seat and Ignis climbs into the backseat. "Strap in," the ravenette said as he started the car's engine.

"Gun it!" Gladio shouted. Noctis drives the Regalia out of the freight car and onto the train tracks.

An electronical voice grabbed their attention. "Threat upgraded. Activating level 4 security measures. Sealing all gates."

The Regalia sped down the train tracks toward the entrance to Gralea. The daemons chased after the group as they tried to make it to the gate before it sealed and locked them out of the city. Noctis drives the car through a tunnel and across a bridge as an artillery shell suddenly strikes near the car, causing a small explosion. Ignis cursed from the backseat as Noctis swerved to avoid another shell.

"One clean hit and it's over," Gladio said.

"It'll take a bit more than that to stop His Majesty's trusty steed," Ignis stated.

The artillery strikes begin hitting their mark. An imperial drop ship can then be seen falling out of the sky. Gladio watched the aircraft as it fell. "Dodging one thing to run into another."

"The Regalia can take the punishment. Just focus on your driving," Ignis said to Noctis.

More artillery strikes the Regalia. Noctis was unable to dodge all the shells and soon the vehicle was on fire. He stared at the flames, clutching the steering wheel tightly. "You can do it, girl. You can get through this."

As the Regalia closes in on the gate, several more strikes land directly on the car. Gladio saw their entrance to Gralea was shrinking by the second. "It's closing! Floor it!"

"C'mon, old girl..."

Just as the Regalia makes it through the rapidly closing gate, another strike lands square on the royal contraption, briefly engulfing it in flame. Noctis brings the car to a screeching halt on the other side of the gate near the debris of a train car that stretches across the width of the bridge, one end propped up above the tracks. The Regalia now sits sizzling on the tracks, all its windows shattered.

"That's all she's got," Gladio said.

"It'll do," Noctis claimed.

The trio get out of the car and begin to walk away. Noctis turns to look back at the car with a somber expression, recalling a memory from childhood of his father stepping out of the car and embracing him. "Dad... Thanks for everything."

After a moment, Gladio speaks up. "Are we seriously marching into the capital empty-handed?"

"And with no assurances the Crystal can beat back the daemon hordes," Ignis added.

"Guess we'll find out the hard way. No turning back now, right?"

Noctis stared at the destroyed train. "No way in hell we're turning back. Let's go."

[ragewerthers]

Turn The Tide

Summary: After an attack from Niflheim against the Royal Navy of Insomnia leaves Gladio and his family reeling, the young officer decides to strike out on his own. Turning to a life of piracy, Gladio searches for a way to return the Eos and his family to the peace they once knew.

The first step? Locating the famed jewel, 'Leviathan's Heart' said to grant the holders true hearts desire. However, the journey may lead him to find that his true hearts desire isn't what he thought it was. Can Gladio find the peace he's searching for? And will he be able to turn the tide? A/n: Hello everyone!

This is my submission for the Promptio Big Bang 2020!

I decided to branch out and write a mermaid AU with these two lovelies and I hope I did them justice!

I was also paired with the amazing artist Inktail! Who was incredibly patient with me during the writing process and I will never be able to thank them enough for that!

You can find them and their work on Tumblr at: inkydoodles.tumblr or on Twitter at: @Kaittzie!

You can also read this fic on AO3 at: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27379771/chapters/66909820

Enjoy! :D

Word count: 23242

--------------------------- Chapter 1/9: 

Riptide:

“Captain Amicitia… we’re getting close to the Serpent's Labyrinth.  Do you want us to deploy the scouting ships?”

Glancing up from his cluttered desk strewn with countless papers, books, and maps Gladiolus Amicitia, Captain of the infamous Daggerquill , couldn’t stop the smile starting to spread over his features.  Standing up from his hunched over position, the larger man made his way toward the cabin’s window and glanced out.  Sure enough, in the distance, the dark silhouette of the cove easily stood out against the setting sun and Gladio could feel his heart beating faster with adrenaline for what they were about to do.

“Tell first mate Ulric to lead the scouting group ashore,” he ordered, turning back toward the man and trying not to smirk at the way the gesture made the fairly new deckhand shy away from him slightly.  “When he gives the signal I’ll be soon to follow.”

“Aye, aye, Captain!” the young man shouted, quickly snapping to attention before making a hasty exit as if he couldn’t get away fast enough.

Chuckling to himself, Gladio shook his head.  He liked to consider himself a fair and decent captain, but he knew his bulk and the rumors that followed him were sure to leave some less than favorable impressions with new deckhands.  But the man had chosen to join their fight so he knew what he was getting into, and right now Gladio had more important matters to deal with than mollycoddling a new crewman.

Moving away from the window he made his way back to his desk, eyes roving over the map he’d been studying earlier.  Faded by the sun and the salty sea air, this particular map had made its way through many hands, and up until now every poor soul who had attempted to unravel its mysteries had met a gruesome end.  All in an effort to hunt down one of the Eos’s most renowned treasures.

The cursed jewel, Leviathan's Heart .

How many people had searched for it?  How many had lost more than they had bargained for in hopes to lay claim to something so shrouded in mystery and allure?

This endeavor would end differently.  Those who had searched before him had done so with greed in their hearts and had paid heavily for their desires.  He was different.  He wasn’t going to make the same mistakes as those before him because he wasn’t fueled by such darkness.  His drive was far nobler!  His actions were far more chivalrous than the scoundrels who had attempted in the past.  His drive was the need to protect… the need to save… the need to avenge what had been wronged so carelessly!

The smile that had been on the young Captain’s lips slowly tipped down into a frown at the thought, his amber eyes glancing over to catch the sight of his trusted cutlass.  One his father had gifted to him years ago when he’d first joined the Royal Lucian Naval Academy.

It had been a drastically different time then.  When he was a loyal soldier instead of the scourge of the seas.  Before Niflheim had laid siege to everything he had held dear and loved.  They were the ones who had turned him into this.  Transformed him into a harbinger of destruction and fear that carried through the seas of the Eos.  They had wanted to pick a fight and now they had one.

Niflheim had sought to bring the surrounding kingdoms to their knees, wanting to lay waste to any opposition so they could rule with complete autonomy over every last bit of land and drop of water.  The kingdoms of Altissia, Tenebrae, and Lucis had openly denied any allegiance to such tyranny, and as such had been used to make examples of.

Gladio had been on the front lines when they had set their sights on the Crown jewel of Insomnia.  His father and himself had been aboard the royal vessel Regalia and had attempted to stop the incoming enemy ships along with the ships Genji Blade and Oracle , but it had all been for naught.  They had been outwitted and betrayed from the inside, half the crews on the Oracle and Gladio and his Fathers ship, Regalia had sealed their fate as charges were set off destroying them in an instant.

If it hadn’t been for his father's quick actions there was no chance he would’ve survived.  As the bombs had detonated, Clarus had stepped in front of his son, shielding him from the blast and shoving him overboard and into the safety of the cool waters below.

The force of the push mixed with the rush of cold water had shocked his system and it had taken Gladio a few precious seconds to figure out which way was up, following the bubbles from his lungs to the surface.  Upon breaking through, his eyes and ears were assaulted with the sounds of explosions and screaming, the once immaculate ships now burning timbers and billowing smoke.  The Nif ships continued on uninhibited, moving closer to shore and setting off a barrage of cannon attacks against the coast.

The only thing that had gotten his frozen limbs to move again was the flicker of something to his left, and as his eyes moved to see the disturbance he saw his father barely hanging onto a piece of the fallen masts from one of their ships.  Instantly his mind and body went into action, making his way over to grab the man before he could slip below the surface of the water.  After that he set his mind in getting them both back to shore, muscles screaming in protest at the strain of trying to save them.

Once on shore, he had managed to drag his father and himself under one of the docks and out of sight for the time being.  Hovering over the man who lay unconscious amongst the seaweed and rocks, Gladio had never felt as helpless as he had at that moment.

That moment was forever scorched in his memory, the sky red and black with devastation, and his chest filled with something he had thought he’d trained hard enough to conquer.

Undeniable fear.

It wasn’t until he had heard the familiar shout of Nyx Ulric that he finally snapped out of it.  He was the Chief mate onboard Genji’s Blade and he and the remaining crewmen were currently looking for survivors as the Nif ships were distracted with the capture of Insomnia.

After that, it felt like the world was a mix of blurred memories and half-formed thoughts.

He remembered shouting for Nyx as he peered out from their hiding spot, seeing a small boat drifting closer to the shore.  His arms trembled with exhaustion as he held onto his father and waved his free arm to try and catch their attention in the failing light of the day.  

As he saw Nyx catching sight of them the last thing he remembered was muffled shouts, the feeling of darkness trickling into the edges of his sight, and then… nothing.

Gladio couldn’t recall how long he had been out when he woke up to the smell of fish and smoke, blinking blearily into the dingy light of what seemed to be an old fishing shack.  Nyx had been the one to come in and check on him when Gladio had attempted and failed to get out of bed, landing on the creaky wooden floor.

Rushing in, Nyx had quickly helped to get Gladio back in bed, the man feeling like his limbs were more jelly than bone at the moment.  But he needed to know what had happened in the time that he’d been out.  Where were they?  What had happened?  Were there any other survivors?  And what had happened to his own father?

The pain in Nyx’s eyes told him that what the man had learned he was far from happy to share.  It appeared that they had been betrayed by their own countrymen and that most of the naval fleet had been lost.  The hardest-hit had been Gladio’s own ship the Regalia, followed by the Oracle and there were only a few survivors that they had been able to find amongst both ships.

Hearing that, Gladio felt the blood run cold in his veins, throat constricting as emotion threatened to overwhelm him as to what had happened to his own father.  Nyx could see the rising panic and was quick to quell his fears.  Clarus had definitely taken the brunt of the explosion on the ship and had severe burns and bruising to his back, but luckily Nyx had been able to salvage a few potions from their own stock before setting out on their rescue mission.  Upon finding them they were able to get Clarus stabilized until getting him into the hands of their medic, Crowe.

While an old fishing shack was not the best place to convalesce it was as good a hiding place as any at the moment.  No one would think to search a run-down area like this for such high ranking officers and especially not when those present had watched them both fall into the depths below.  Nyx also gave him a rundown of those who they had already been able to get into contact with.  Apart from the remaining crew from the Genji’s Blade , they were already getting intel that there were others who’d been able to escape the Nif’s grasp.  The King and some of his council had managed to escape along with a few other higher-ups from the Citadel.  Gladio’s sister, Iris, had also been able to make it out of the Citadel with the help of Jared Hester, a trusted servant to the Amicitia household.

Apparently things were already being set into motion by a few of the higher-ups and Iris was already on her way to them and would arrive shortly if everything went accordingly.  The plan after that was to try and rendezvous with a few other groups and then work on the counterattack.  With that final bit of info and the reassurance that his family was as safe as it could be, Gladio once again lost the battle against sleep and had let it claim him once more.

The following weeks were the toughest he could remember.  While Jared and Iris had been able to make it to the makeshift hideout it only helped to alleviate some of Gladio’s fears.  Clarus was still down for the count as far as his health was concerned, but it hadn’t stopped him from meeting with and sending messages to other active groups looking for ways to stop the maelstrom that was Niflheim.

So far the course of action the older and more experienced of them had decided to take was to work in secrecy.  To find the weakest points they could through what was more spy games than actual battle… and Gladio couldn’t stand it.

Why weren’t they seeking help from the surrounding kingdoms?  Why couldn’t they ask their allies for aid during this time?  Surely if they were able to get their help and with what they had experienced they were already better informed and the same mistakes wouldn’t happen again!

His father had tried to explain to him that with how their own forces were scattered at the moment, they could hardly ask for help from Altissia or Tenebrae.  The best they could do right now was work from the shadows.  But Gladio couldn’t understand.  He refused to sneak around and talk about what they could do instead of act!

He hadn’t been the only one who felt this way.  Nyx, and a good few crewmen from Genji’s Blade held the same opinion that action and a show of force with their greatest allies would be enough to stop the Nifs.  But without the backing of the higher officials, there was little they could do to implement their plan and all they could do was sit and wait.

Though that was all to change with one small incident.

Unable to listen to another meeting between his father and a few other generals, Gladio had opted to head out in search of any new information on the Niflheim forces.  The best place to gather such information was obviously the dockyard.  There was no quicker way to hear gossip than those in the merchant trade and also a no better way to grab a few extra supplies.  Donning a cloak to hide his features, he’d made his way from the shack hidden down the coast to the more bustling sea trading area and what he saw made him freeze.

Sitting in the dock was a dark timbered Nif ship, the lettering emblazoned on it reading ‘ Adagium ’.  A ship that had been tasked with hunting down and rounding up the last of the survivors from the attack on the royal fleet.  Slowly they had been getting closer, but Gladio hadn’t thought they’d think to check this area.  None of them had even though the threat was there in the back of their minds.

He couldn’t let them search too far.  He had to get back to his father.  But then what?!  While a few weeks had done Clarus wonders he was still in no shape to move and should they be found out they would be sitting ducks!  What he needed to do was draw attention away!  What he needed to do was become a distraction!

And with that single thought, something very simple had planted itself in Gladio’s mind.

There was something they could do.

There was a way for them to take action and show their force… but allow his father to continue to work in the shadows and undermine the Nifs.  Find their weakness.

He needed to become the target.  The distraction.

And it all started… with taking down that ship.

[chosenking]

 the  child  glanced  to  the  ground  to  hide  the  oncoming  tears.  the  fires  had  devastated  tenebrae,  leaving  the  once  serene  kingdom  in  nothing  but  ashes.  ❝  at  least…  lady  lunafreya  can  finally  know  peace…  i  am  happy  she  doesn’t  have  to  cry  like  me…  ❞  she  broke  into  sobbing,  unashamed  of  it  now  that  the  tears  fell  from  her  eyes.   / anon . accepting random always.

 with  a  moment  to  relax  after  battle  he  sank  into  the  seat  of  the  train,  attempting  sleep,  but  the  crown  weighed  heavy  upon  his  shoulders  he  could  feel  himself  sinking  deeper  and  deeper  with  every  step,  struggling  to  keep  his  head  above  water  so  that  he  did  not  drown  in  his  sorrow  —  he  felt  himself  a  burden  to  those  around  him,  he’d  try  his  hardest  to  wear  the  crown  with  pride  as  his  father  did  before  him,  the  struggles  left  him  wondering  how  his  father  had  managed.  it  was  yet  another  reason  he  would  push  himself  to  his  limits,  if  only  to  make  the  man  who’d  raised  him  proud  of  the  king  he  raised.  to  restore  the  light  to  the  world  was  his  calling,  he  knew  this  ever  since  he  was  a  child  yet  then  it  seemed  so  surreal  —  as  luna  told  the  story  he  imagined  she’d  be  ever  at  his  side  fighting  the  darkness  with  him,  but  she  too  was  lost  to  him,  taken  by  the  cruel  waves  of  the  sea,  lost  forever  more.  the  leviathan  had  proved  to  be  stubborn  as  the  stories  claimed,  though  as  stubborn  as  she  was  it  was  not  the  leviathan  that  claimed  the  life  of  his  beloved,  t’was  the  man  whose  mere  countenance  incites  a  seething  rage  inside  of  him…  the  man  who  had  now  had  used  noctis’s  own  rage  against  him  and  all  but  forced  his  hand  against  prompto…  noctis  hung  his  head  low  as  he  thought  back  to  the  regretful  interaction  —  he  was  sure  prompto,  were  he  still  alive,  would  abhor  him  immensely,  and  why  shouldn’t  he?  noctis  was  tricked  by  vile  chancellor  of  niflheim  into  attacking  his  friend, perhaps  even  killing,  blinded  by  his  own  hurt,  he  hurt  those  he  claimed  to  care  for.  he  was  pulled  from  his  thought  as  the  train  came  to  an  immediate  halt  as  it  could  go  now  further.  he’d  seen  the  burning  before  they  had  arrived,  it  sank  his  heart  even  more  to  see  tenebrae  in  such  a  sorry  state  —  things  would  continue  to  get  worse  and  worse.  tenebrae…  he  swallowed  hard  at  the  sore  sight  —  he  choked  back  the  tears  that  threatened  him,  hesitant  to  step  off  the  train,  he  took  a  deep  breath  and  stepped  down

 the  scene  was  this:  tenebrae  was  on  fire,  under  attack  by  the  empire  or  daemons,  it  made  no  difference  now,  and  many  stood  grieving  their  families  and  the  loss  of  the  oracle.  many  gathered  to  pay  respect  to  the  fallen  oracle,  he  could  hear  them  weeping  and  his  heart  wept  with  them,  he  wanted  to  fall  to  his  knees  and  scream  his  feelings  away  but  they  remained  heavy  on  his  heart  as  he  struggled  on  his  feet.  now  he  was  seeing  how  luna  had  touched  the  hearts  of  the  people,  adults  and  children  alike  —  it  was  an  odd  thing,  but  noctis  knew  how  kind  hearted  and  loving  she  was,  this  loss  hurt  the  world.  noctis  blinked  back  his  tears,  realizing  that  his  loss  wasn’t  his  alone,  but  the  whole  world  was  heartbroken  along  with  him.  he  lifted  his  head,  noticing  a  little  girl  grieving  by  her  lonesome.  as  he  heaved  a  sigh  he  moved  towards  her,  standing  taller  now.  ❛  hey…  ❜    his  voice  is  gentle  as  he  starts,  kneeling  down  to  meet  her  at  eye  level,  her  eyes  were  red  as  though  she’d  been  crying  all  day  —  he  was  speechless.  as  the  little  girl  began  to  speak  he  felt  his  throat  get  tighten  as  his  eyes  burned  hot  —  he  remained  there  silent  for  a  moment,  taking  her  small  hand  into  his  own  he  offered  a  reassuring  smile  to  her.  ❛  the  darkness  will  pass.  ❜  the  words  come  without  warning  —  he  tried  to  think  of  how  luna  would  have  comforted  the  girl,  and  now  felt  himself  more  embarrassed  than  anything,  but  the  comfort  of  the  young  girl  meant  more  than  his  own  pride.  ❛  and  i  promise,  i  will  see  to  it.  lunas  sacrifice  won’t  be  in  vein.  ❜    he  pulled  her  into  a  gentle  hug  —  would  that  he  could  offer  more  words  of  comfort  but  they  were  stuck  in  his  throat.        

[begitalarcos]

100+ Years of Horror

This is not a definitive list. These are just the films I believe every Horror fan should see at least once. I’ve excluded any sequels that I didn’t feel needed including. I hope you enjoy.

For @mechamag​

1922 – Nosferatu

1925 – The Phantom of the Opera

1927 – The Cat and the Canary

1931 – Dracula, Frankenstein

1932 – Freaks

1933 – The Invisible Man

1934 – The Black Cat

1935 – The Bride of Frankenstein

1939 – The Cat and the Canary

1941 – The Black Cat, The Wolfman

1942 – Cat People

1945 - Dead of Night

1953 – House of Wax

1954 – Creature from the Black Lagoon

1955 – Night of the Hunter, Les Diaboliques

1956 – Invasion of the Body Snatchers, The Bad Seed

1958 – The Blob, Macabre, The Fly

1959 – House on Haunted Hill, The Tingler, The Killer Shrews

1960 – 13 Ghosts , Black Sunday, Eyes without a face, Peeping Tom, Psycho, Village of the Damned

1961 – The Pit and the Pendulum

1962 – What ever happened To Baby Jane?

1963 – The Birds, Black Sabbath, The Haunting

1965 – Repulsion

1966 – Island of Terror

1967 – Wait until Dark

1968 – Night of the Living Dead, Rosemary’s Baby, Spider Baby

1970 – Mark of the Devil, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage

1971 – The Cat O’ Nine Tails, Let’s scare Jessica to Death, What’s the matter with Helen? A Bay of Blood, Play Misty for Me

1972 – Ben, Children shouldn’t play with dead things, Deathdream, Don’t torture a Duckling, The last house on the left, Night of the Lepus, What have you done to Solange?

1973 – The Crazies, The Exorcist, The Legend of Hell House, Sisters, The Wicker Man, Don’t look now

1974 – Black Christmas, Deranged, It’s Alive, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Vampyres

1975 – Shivers, Trilogy of Terror, Jaws, Deep Red, The Stepford Wives

1976 – Alice Sweet Alice, Burnt Offerings, Carrie, Eaten Alive, The Omen, Squirm, To the devil a daughter, The town that dreaded sundown, The Tenant

1977 – Audrey Rose, Day of the Animals, Demon Seed, Eraserhead, Exorcist 2: The Heretic, The Hills have Eyes, Rabid, The Sentinel, Shock, Suspiria

1978 – Damien: Omen 2, Dawn of the Dead, Halloween, I Spit on your Grave, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, Jaws 2, The Legacy, Magic, Martin, Piranha

1979 – Alien, The Amityville Horror, The Brood, Phantasm, Prophecy, Tourist Trap, When a Stranger Calls, Zombi2, Nosferatu the Vampyre, Salem’s Lot

1980 – Alligator, Altered States, The Changeling, City of the Living Dead, Fade to Black, The Fog, Friday the 13th, Hell of the Living Dead, The House on the Edge of the Park, Humanoids form the Deep, Inferno, Maniac, Motel Hell, Prom Night, The Shining

1981 – An American Werewolf in London, The Beyond, The Black Cat, The Burning, Dead and Buried, The Entity, The Evil Dead, Friday the 13th Part 2, The Funhouse, Galaxy of Terror, Halloween 2, Happy Birthday to Me, Hell Night, The House by the Cemetery, The Howling, My Bloody Valentine, Omen 3: The Final Conflict, The Pit, Possession, The Prowler, Wolfen, Scanners, Blow Out, Ghost Story

1982 – Alone in the Dark, Basket Case, The Beast Within, Cat People, Creepshow, Friday the 13th Part 3, Halloween 3: Season of the Witch, Madman, Pieces, Poltergeist, Q: The Winged Serpent, Tenebrae, The Thing, Visiting Hours

1983 – A Blade in the Dark, Christine, Cujo, Curtains, The Deadly Spawn, Eyes of Fire, The House on Sorority Row, The Hunger, Mortuary, Nightmares, Sleepaway Camp, Videodrome, The Dead Zone, Twilight Zone: The Movie

1984 – C.H.U.D., Children of the Corn, The Company of Wolves, Gremlins, Night of the Comet, A Nightmare on Elm Street, Razorback, Silent Night Deadly Night, Firestarter, Starman, Ghostbusters

1985 – Cat’s Eye, Day of the Dead, Demons, Fright Night, Ghoulies, LifeForce, Phenomena, Re-Animator, The Return of the Living Dead, Silver Bullet, The Stuff, Cut and Run, The New Kids

1986 – Aliens, April Fools Day, Chopping Mall, Critters, Deadly Friend, The Fly, From Beyond, Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer, The Hitcher, House, Invaders from Mars, Little Shop of Horrors, Maximum Overdrive, Monster Dog, Night of the Creeps, Poltergeist 2: The Other Side, Rawhead Rex, Terrorvision, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, Trick or Treat, Troll, Vamp, The Wraith

1987 – Angel Heart, Bad Taste, Creepshow 2, Dolls, Evil Dead 2, The Gate, Hello Mary Lou: Prom Night 2, Hellraiser, The Hidden, House 2: The Second Story, The Outing, The Lost Boys, The Monster Squad, Near Dark, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3: Dream Warriors, Opera, Prince of Darkness, Predator, Stage Fright, The Stepfather, Street Trash, The Witches of Eastwick, Lady Beware, Fatal Attraction

1988 – Bad Dreams, The Blob, Child's Play, Dead Heat, Elvira Mistress of the Dark, Fright Night Part 2, Hellbound: Hellraiser 2, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, The Lair of the White Worm, Maniac Cop, Night of the Demons, Phantasm 2, Pin, Prison, Pumpkinhead, Return of the Living Dead Part 2, The Serpent and the Rainbow, Uninvited, Watchers, Waxwork, They Live

1989 – 976-Evil, The Church, Grim Prairie Tales, The Horror Show, Intruder, Leviathan, Night Life, Pet Sematary, Shocker, Society, Warlock, Dead Calm, The Forgotten One, DeepStar Six

1990 – Braindead, Bride of Re-Animator, Child’s Play 2, The Exorcist 3, Frankenhooker, Graveyard Shift, The Guardian, Hardware, IT, Jacob’s Ladder, Misery, Night of the Living Dead, Nightbreed, Predator 2, The Reflecting Skin, Sundown: The Vampire in Retreat, Tales from the Darkside: The Movie, Tremors, Two Evil Eyes, Arachnophobia

1991 – Body Parts, Cape Fear, The People under the Stairs, The Pit and the Pendulum, Popcorn, Scanners 2: The New Order, The Silence of the Lambs, Sometimes they Come Back

1992 – Army of Darkness, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Candyman, Demonic Toys, Dolly Dearest, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, Innocent Blood, Sleepwalkers, Spilt Second, Man Bites Dog

1993 – Body Bags, Carnosaur, Cronos, The Dark Half, Leprechaun, Return of the Living Dead 3, Trauma, Kalifornia, Man’s Best Friend

1994 – Brainscan, Cemetery Man, The Crow, Death Machine, Hellbound, In The Mouth of Madness, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, The Stand, Wes Cravens New Nightmare, Wolf, Interview with the Vampire

1995 – Castle Freak, Demon Knight, Lord of Illusions, The Mangler, Mosquito, The Prophecy, Species, Village of the Damned, Screamers, Dolores Claiborne

1996 – Bad Moon, The Craft, The Frighteners, From Dusk till Dawn, Jack Frost, Scream, Tremors 2: Aftershocks, Mary Reilly

1997 – An American Werewolf in Paris, Anaconda, Campfire Tales, Cube, The Devils’ Advocate, Event Horizon, I know what you did last Summer, Mimic, The Night Flier, Nightwatch, The Relic, Quicksilver Highway, The Ugly, Wishmaster, Kiss the Girls, Se7en, Perfect Blue

1998 – Blade, Deep Rising, The Faculty, Ringu, Strangeland, Urban Legend, Vampires, Sphere

1999 – Audition, The Blair Witch Project, Deep Blue Sea, The Haunting, House on Haunted Hill, Lake Placid, The Mummy, Ravenous, Sleepy Hollow, Stigmata, Virus, The Sixth Sense, Idle Hands

2000 – American Psycho, Bless the Child, Blood: The Last Vampire, Cherry Falls, Final Destination, Ginger Snaps, Hollow Man, Ju-On, Pitch Black, Python, Versus, What Lies Beneath, The Gift, The Cell, Shadow of the Vampire

2001 – The Attic Expeditions, Brotherhood of the Wolf, Dagon, Jeepers Creepers, Mulholland Drive, The Others, Session 9, Thir13en Ghosts, The Devil’s Backbone, Frailty, From Hell, Hannibal

2002 – 28 Days Later, Blade 2, Bubba Ho-Tep, Cabin Fever, Dog Soldiers, Eight Legged Freaks, Ghost Ship, May, Queen of the Damned, Resident Evil, The Ring, They, The Mothman Prophecies, Red Dragon

2003 – Darkness Falls, Dream Catcher, Final Destination 2, Freddy Vs. Jason, Haute Tension, House of 1000 Corpses, A Tale of Two Sisters, Undead, Underwold, Willard, Wrong Turn

2004 – Alien Vs Predator, Club Dread, Dawn of the Dead, Dead & Breakfast, Exorcist: The Beginning, Ginger Snaps 2: Unleashed, Godsend, Saw, Shaun of the Dead, The Village, Taking Lives, The Forgotten, Enduring Love

2005 – 2001 Maniacs, The Amityville Horror, Constantine, Dark Water, The Descent, The Devils’ Rejects, The Exorcism of Emily Rose, Land of the Dead, Wolf Creek, Hard Candy

2006 – Abominable, All the boys love Many Lane, Black Sheep, Fido, Final Destination 3, Hatchet, The Hills have Eyes, Slither, The Woods, The Host, Silent Hill, The Tripper, Wild Country

2007 – 28 Weeks Later, 30 Days of Night, 1408, Grindhouse, I am Legend, The Mist, My Name is Bruce, Nature of the Beast, Paranormal Activity, Primeval, REC, Skinwalkers, Teeth, Trick r’ Treat, An American Crime, Rogue, Funny Games

2008 – Book of Blood, Cloverfield, Deadgirl, Diary of the Dead, Let the right one in, The Midnight Meat Train, Mirrors, Quarantine, The Ruins, Splinter, The Strangers, Eden Lake, Outlander

2009 – Case 39, Grace, The Haunting in Connecticut, Heartless, The House of the Devil, Jennifer’s Body, The Loved Ones, Orphan, Pandorum, Splice, Triangle, Zombieland, Carriers, Dread

2010 – Black Swan, The Crazies, Exorcismus, Frozen, Insidious, The Last Exorcism, Let me in, Primal, Tucker & Dale Vs Evil, The Wolfman, Troll Hunter, Devil

2011 – The Awakening, Don’t be afraid of the Dark, The Innkeepers, Livid, The Thing, The Woman, The Rite

2012 – American Mary, Bait, The Cabin in the Woods, The Devil Inside, The Possession, Prometheus, Sinister, Byzantium, Compliance

2013 – The Conjuring, Evil Dead, Jug Face, Mama, Under the Skin, Only Lovers Left Alive, Warm Bodies, Horns, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, Contracted, Stoker

2014 – Annabelle, As Above So Below, The Babadook, Deliver us from Evil, A Girl walk home alone at Night, Life after Beth, Starry Eyes, Tusk, It Follows, Goodnight Mommy, The Voices, Digging up the Marrow, When Animals Dream, Gone Girl ,The Remaining, Late Phases, Cub

2015 – Crimson Peak, Krampus, The Lazarus Effect, Maggie, The Visit, The Witch, Bone Tomahawk, Green Room, Regression, The Devil’s Candy, The Lure

2016 – The Autopsy of Jane Doe, The Belko Experiment, The Boy, The Conjuring 2, Don’t Breathe, The Eyes of my Mother, Split, The Forest, The Love Witch, The Neon Demon, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, Raw, Train to Busan, The Void, What We Become, 10 Cloverfield Lane, A Cure for Wellness, The Shallows, Pet, Hounds of Love

2017 – IT, Get Out, Mother!, The Killing of a Sacred Deer, The Ritual, Thelma, Veronica, It comes at Night, Life, Gerald’s Game, Revenge, 1922

2018 – Annihilation, Halloween, Hereditary, Mandy, Mom and Dad, The Nun, Overlord, Possum, A Quiet Place, Suspiria, The House that Jack Built, Bird Box, Apostle, The Meg

2019 – Brightburn, IT Chapter 2, Midsommar, Ready or Not, Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark, Us, I am Mother, Crawl, The Dead Don’t Die, Extremely Wicked Shockingly Evil and Vile, Glass

[secret-engima]

story-spinner

Having a bad day. You happen to have any HCs or snippets for Kings Skjald verse? You may not but your writing always seems to cheer me up so

Me: So sorry I missed this! I didn’t log in yesterday like- at ALL and I only just got the notification. I unfortunately do not have any snippets to share, but HCs I can do. :)

-In the aftermath of Souls of the Sea (Still Belong to Blue Tides) and everything that happened in there, a couple things happen. One of the big ones being that Ravus joins the Kingsglaive. It takes him a year of stubbornly arguing with his mother over it, because she does NOT want Ravus to go haring off to war, but in the end Ravus wins and joins up at 17.

-The glaives at first are not too sold on this idea. Because... prince. Tenebraen prince with a resting murder face. He’s probably a wimp. Or just a jerk. Will he even obey orders and work with us non-royal Galahdian/Lucian nobodies?

-Then they actually throw Ravus into boot camp and learn that this boy may have enough formal manners to perfectly blend in with Lucian high society but once you take him out of that environment and stick a sword in his hand he becomes a bundle of Feral Anger And Bloodlust with a side of Really Scary Cunning. Also he spent part of those months on the run being grilled by Gladiolus in how to fight (on top of the royal sword training he’d already been receiving pre-Tenebrae’s Fall obviously) and spent putting food on the camp grill for his mother and sister by Killing It Really Hard First.

-Basically he fits riigghhtt in with the rest of the feral, chip-on-their-shoulder-rookies.

-Also, Ravus may not be a Reborn Viking of Pure Awesome like Gladiolus, so he can’t stand toe to toe with Cor the Immortal or anything but like- in canon this boy was able to claw his way up the ranks of a foreign military that WOULDN’T HAVE WANTED HIM THERE (see: Uldor’s comments during the Ignis DLC, and that cutscene with Besithia making snide comments at Ravus in the main game) and eventually become SiC and then Supreme Commander. Kid has talent and the stubborn to back it up.

-Nyx is not a fan of being Braincelled by this younger, more aggressive Tenenbraen, especially when half the time Ravus is only in yelling range because he’s DOING THE DUMB RIGHT ALONGSIDE NYX.

-Luche and Libertus are both a Stress.

-Tredd finds it fun to wind the kid up even though it repeatedly gets him a broken nose.

-Anyway as a side effect of Ravus joining the Kingsglaive, Luna and Gladiolus both take an interest in the Kingsglaive as a whole, and of course, whatever THEY take an interest in, Noctis will take an interest in too.

-Cue Smol Prince following along whenever Luna comes to check on her brother (and secretly use her magic to heal them even though Mother Strictly Forbids Using Her Magic Outside Emergencies Until She’s Fully Trained) and Gladiolus making friends with people physically a lot older than him but not mentally. And maybe mopping the floor with anyone who dares challenge him to a spar (this is the year Gladiolus is finally good enough to win against Cor in a spar according to a previous HC of mine, sorry but the Glaives have no chance, they give it a good go though).

-Gladiolus may or may not accidentally teach the Kingsglaive how to swear in Old Norse.

-I really really want the other Astrals (minus Bahamut) to start noticing and taking an interest in Leviathan’s new “kid”, because no one has given blessings since Solheim’s fall and of all of them, LEVIATHAN was not the one they expected to buck the mold in that way (in other ways sure, but Blessing a human???? THEIR angry rage snek???). But I’m still working out how all that ... goes.

-Leviathan probably browbeats the others into keeping it a secret from Bahamut tho. Because she is protective of her child and there’s no way she’s letting Bahamut hurt her Chosen again, even by accident.

-Gladiolus, with his newfound abilities to breathe underwater and such, sometimes gets an itch to go swimming. Considering the ocean is miles away most of the time and the pool has chlorine that stings his lungs when he breathes it, he finds the Royal Aquarium with all its ocean fish a much better place to hang out for a few hours.

-Clarus, Juno, Regis, Ignis, Cor, and more than a few freaked out Crownsguard would like to STRONGLY DISAGREE.

-Gladiolus, who lost track of time swimming around with the Really Dangerous Fish that won’t bother him because they can sense Leviathan’s Blessing, is just like- sorry? I’ll warn you next time.

-Everybody: WHAT DO YOU MEAN NEXT TIME.

-Sylva becomes a major voice in Lucian noble circles in favor of the Kingsglaive and efforts to clean up the refugee sector. Because she may not be Lucian, but she is the ORACLE and her voice carries a LOT of weight and she’s lived through what the Galahdians and other refugee groups have suffered through. She knows the smell of your home burning and blood on your clothes as you run from MT units and pray they don’t find you. She knows what it’s like to flee to another country. What it’s like to be HUNGRY and SCARED. What it’s like to cling to the children at night on a Haven, cold and tired but unable to sleep because the daemons wander and scream only a few yards away, and while the mind says they cannot come onto the Haven, the heart and the instincts do not believe. She knows ALL OF THAT.

-She also knows what it’s like to be saved. To be found and sheltered and taken to safety by soldiers who are just like her, and know to give her and her children soup and soft foods, who know to approach from the front rather than the sides and to move slow and open, to always say what they’re doing before they do it. She knows what it’s like to be so grateful for those simple kindnesses that it takes all she can muster not to start crying, because if she starts she will not stop and then her children will start crying too.

-So whenever some Lucian noble makes contemptuous noises over the “necessity” of the Kingsglaive or the refugee sector, or makes a comment on how Insomnia is for LUCIANS and not ragged strays, she will look them in the eye and say something perfectly cool and polite and deadly. Something that sharply reminds the noble that SHE, the HOLY ORACLE, is a refugee just like all the other “ragged strays”. That she and hers were “found” by Kingsglaive and escorted safely home. That her SON is now part of that very same organization.

-But do go on and tell her how the Kingsglaive are a waste of money and refugees should be left to fend for themselves.

-Needless to say, between Sylva backing them politically, Luna healing them on the sly (and also Sylva does come heal the bad cases whenever she has time), and Ravus being his feral budding terrifying strategist self, the Kingsglaive and Little Galahd as a whole rapidly come to adore the Nox Fleuret family. These are their Oracles. No touchy. They will Fite You.

-And of course, Noctis adores Luna and tries to emulate her because she’s Cool, and also his Shield-Brother cares for the Kingsglaive, and Big Brother Ravus IS a Kingsglaive, so Noctis rolls up his little sleeves and tries to help too. He’s too young to have a voice in politics, but he can and will follow his dad around nagging that hey-hey Ravus says their shoes don’t fit and the quartermaster won’t give them potions even though IGNIS says they have the budget for it and hey hey hey- (Regis would like to know how Ignis the Eleven Year Old got his hands on the Kingsglaive budget, but Cor has been making dire noises along these lines already so he sighs and siccs the auditors on the quartermaster).

-Noctis also visits a lot, and tries to give the Glaives games and things because hey those make him feel better so maybe it’ll make the glaives not look so tired too.

-The Entire Kingsglaive as they proverbially (and sometimes literally) pick up Noctis: We’ve only known this princeling for a few months but if anything happened to him we would kill everyone in Niflheim and then ourselves.

-Gladiolus approves this feeling.

I think that’s all the HCs I got for the moment, I hope these made your day a little better. :)

[ertrunkenerwassergeist]

The Galahkari and the Astrals

celsiahawthorn 

More prompts! Most FFXV things I see have Ramuh as a sort of patron for Galahd, but if you have them as not worshipping any of the Astrals, what is their relationship with Ramuh specifically, and what do you consider to be "his people/place" like Lucis is Bahamut's, Tenebrae is Shiva's, and Accordo seems to be Leviathan's?

This is a fascinating question! Hope you don’t mind if I answer this in the more I’m thinking out loud way.

Lets start with Titan. Titan the Archaean. He, who holds up the meteor that was called down by Ifrit and carries a curse with it and so cannot touch the earth. The earth Titan is sworn to protect because it is his domain. Everybody knows where he is and what he does. Steady as rock and earth and mountain. It’s less that he has a chosen people he decided to favour and more that the people crowded around him. The people that made themselves his are the people of Old-Lestallum and later Lestallum, but most of Duscae considers him theirs.

Ifrit’s people were the Solheimr. They were the people he decided to give jis greatest gift to. Fire. Fire and all that came with it. The good and the bad. Solheim was his place and it was destroyed by a conflict he did not start but carried on until the bitter end. In modern day he keeps his mother’s pyre burning and in turn burns himself again and again and again. Now his nation is but ashes and his people are dead. Nearly no one remembers anymore what it means to worship fire. 

(The Galahkari ironicaly are some of the precious few who still remember part of it. They whisper their stories and secrets into his flames and he hears them all. He hoards them like precious trinkes. Because even if they don’t worship him anymore, the still respect him. Because they remember.

Deep City also has a few of his traditions left. Different ones and less than the Galahkari, but they’re still there. And as long as they are he may be able to scrounge up enough power to do something.)

Leviathan the Hydraean is the waves of the sea, the current of the rivers, the wind that swells the sails. She isn’t water, she is of the water. Always on the move, free and untaimed. Like her people once were. Her people were the first people daring enough to brave the sea. The ones she taught how to sail, to go wherever the winds and the waters took them. To be as wild and free as she was. The ones that would settle onto the islands they would name Accordo. They settled down and began to grow roots and Leviathan was furious. She had taught them, loved them in the way the sea loves anything and they had turned away from her. Still she went to slumber near their shores in the hope they would rememeber. They didn’t.

(Galahkari may brave the sea also and they even did it at first to be free, but back then she still had had her people and so she had ignored these desperate souls that may have wanted to be free but also wanted a place to grow and thrive in. That is something the sea can’t give.)

Shiva went to sleep in the desert as a last nod towards her love Ifrit. She doesn’t have a people per se. At first she hated humans, froze them wherever she went. But then she became the Gentle and still she remained alone because a gentle death is still death. Later, when magic was bound and she sent her consciousness into her messenger Gentiana, she made the Fleurets hers. But only the Fleurets because healing is gentle and needs a gentle hand.

(In Galahd she is the white she-devil. She, who tried to erase the consequences of the Astral’s own decision. She failed. She hates them for it but she can’t do anything because she is gentle and a gentle death is too good for them. At last that’s what she tells herself in the dark hours when she doubts.)

Bahamut resides within the crystal to form and guide its light how he sees fit. He likes to think that the Lucis Caelums, and through them all of Lucis, are his people and they may even think so themselves, but they aren’t. For there are two with an even older and stronger claim that still holds even if it has been forgotten. Eos and Etro.

(He ignores the Galahkari. They are not part of the prophecy. They are not important. They will die soon enough. Oh you poor ignorant soul.)

Ramuh doesn’t have a people or a place he calls his own. He is content with traveling like his storms. This way and that, never in one place for long. In modern times a cult has begun to form mostly made up of enegneers, electricians and researchers. Maybe something will come of it, who knows.

(And his relationship with the Galahkari? He respects their desicion and does not interact with them. He is the Keeper of the Law and Devine Law decrees the free will of humans. They made their desicion and he has to keep to it. But that also means he will not help them if they need it.)

[ficswithrimi]

Mine (Chapter 9)

Title: Mine

Pairing: Noctis Lucis Caelum x Reader

Genre: Angst, Romance

Trigger Warning: Mentions of blood, violence, depression, suicide attempt, and minor sexual content

Synopsis: Daughter of a Niflheim soldier, you were sent out to Tenebrae to spy on the Nox Fleuret family and their involvement with the Lucis Caelum family. However, after learning the truth about Niflheim, you betray them. Your journey of revenge begins after learning of the death of your adoptive sister, Lunafreya, and your childhood friend Noctis Lucis Caelum.

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A/N: Merry Late Christmas and Happy New Year! Here is my final gift to the Tumblr Writing Community for 2018! This chapter... is a month late lmao. It was supposed to come out in November and Chapter 10 this month BUT writer’s block is that... anyways. I hope you all enjoy watching my main character (She has a name in my mind but this is self-insert, so...) spiral into confusion. Bye! See everyone next year!

           “It is time.”

           Your eyes shot open as a door burst open with a loud ‘bang.’ Whipping your head around, your eyes widened in shock as two Niflheim soldiers carried in a woman that resembled you. She kicked and screamed as the soldiers rushed her inside, their tight grips on her arm turning her pale skin dark purple from bruising. You watched in horror as they literally threw her in the corner of the small, confined room. She hit her head with a ‘thud’ that seemingly knocked her out upon impact. You stared at her for a second before realizing who the woman was. She was, who you assumed, your future self. The Titan had caused you to dream into the future a couple of weeks ago where you overheard that the woman – you ­– were to be executed. Though the situation seemed futile at the time, you thought the future you would’ve found a way to escape; however, as you looked at your unconscious self, you knew you hadn’t.

           Hearing the laughter of the imperials, you sharply turned your head in their direction with a glare. A fire burning inside you, you attempted to summon your daggers – ready to kill the two men in one sweep. However, your daggers didn’t appear when you commanded them to. Anxiety slowly setting in, you felt around yourself to see if they were tucked away somewhere. Nothing. Glaring back at the soldiers who were casually standing around talking, you decided to use hand-combat. It would be harder to succeed but you were confident you could take them. Running towards them, you attempted to grab the imperial’s arm that was nearest to you only for your hand to go right through his. Stumbling forward to the ground, your eyes widened as you saw they didn’t seem to notice your presence. Getting back up, you tried again to attack only to fail once more. You glanced over at the future you on the floor who slightly budged, you ran over to her. Maybe she could feel your presence. She sort of did before, right?

           “Uh… Y/N… you have to wake up…” You said in a hushed. Not sure if touching her would work, you reached out to see how your hand, just as with the imperials, went straight through her. Cursing under your breath, you stood up and turned back to the soldiers just to see two others come in. A gasp escaped your lips as you took in who they were – General Glauca and your dad.

           “You both can leave now. Jeno and I will handle it from here…” Glauca spoke as the two imperials who had brought the woman in saluted him and hurried out of the room. You were confused. How could Glauca still be alive? You thought Cor had said he perished in Insomnia when you met him? How was your father, fully decked in his uniform that you forever had etched into your mind, here? What was going on?

           “Are you sure you want to be the one to do this?” Glauca said as he and your father turned to look at the unconscious woman on the floor. “I can get someone else or-“

           “As the one who turned her in, it is my duty to dispose of her,” Your dad said in a cold voice that resembled no regret. Turned her in? You? Was your father… the one who caught you and turned you into the Empire? There was no way. You would never let him… he would never get the opportunity. But then, you thought as you glanced back at the woman, how would that explain how you ended up here?

           “What about your daughter?” Glauca asked. “How will you explain her death to her when she’s older?”

           Just as your father was about to speak, the woman began to come to her senses as she slowly lifted her hand to her head. Immediately, Glauca and your father raised their guns and aimed at her. Your eyes widened as you dashed to her side. You couldn’t do anything, you knew this, but you could at least try. To see yourself die by the hands of these evil bastards was the last thing you ever wanted to witness. But… what did Glauca mean by ‘your daughter?’ Did you have a sibling you didn’t know about? That didn’t make sense…  

           “Jeno-“

           “Shut up!” Your dad cut off the stuttering woman as she looked in his direction. “I have this Glauca. This shouldn’t take long.”

           You watched as General Glauca nodded towards your father and exited the room. Your father snarled at the woman as he looked at her as if she was a piece of filth. He slowly walked towards her, gun still raised, as she desperately tried to stand up. Your heart fell to your stomach as you could only watch as she pitifully attempted to come fully back to her senses.

           “Jeno, please,” She begged, globs of tears beginning to spill from her eyes. “You can’t do this! I’m not a traitor! I just want what’s best for our family-“

           “My family,” Your father spat at the woman. “My family, we don’t need untrustworthy people such as yourself.”

           “Jeno, think about the baby! Let me go, please! We can run off together, leave this place behind,” The woman said as she stood up and slowly tried to approach your father. “Please, I just want what’s best for us…”

           You began to tune the woman out as her previous words circled in your mind. Why would… you want to run off with the man who left you behind – who didn’t attempt to stop Glauca from murdering you? There wasn’t a plausible explanation… unless… this woman was…

           “You’re nothing but pathetic scum. Niflheim will be better off without you. Y/N will be better off without you…” You gasped as your father said your name. She was… this lady was…

           “Jen-“ Before the woman could continue to beg, your body froze over as you saw the flash of the gun go off and hit the woman directly in her head between her eyes. Immediately she dropped dead as blood began to gush from the wound. Your father stared briefly at the woman’s corpse before turning around to exit the room, not batting an eye. You stood there in fear and shock as your eyes stared at the door he just walked out of. Shaking slightly, you turned around to look at the corpse on the ground. This woman was…

           Carefully, you approached the body and bent down to examine it. The woman’s hazel eyes stared lifelessly up at the ceiling with her mouth slightly ajar. Again, you noticed she had the same physical features such as yourself aside from the long hair that was now drenched in her blood. You knew that if this woman was you… she’d have one distinct feature. You brought your hands to the right side of your neck where your fingers carefully traced your ‘x’ scar. Gulping, you dropped your hand and slowly pushed back the hair that covered the woman’s neck. You let out a gasp as the skin was bare – free from any scar. This woman was…

           “Marina Y/L/N was her name,” Your dad frowned as a six-year-old you blinked curiously up at him. “She didn’t love you nor myself. She was selfish. That’s why she betrayed us – betrayed you.”

           “Why would mommy betray our home?”

           “The same reason you betrayed your home,” You quickly turned from your mother’s corpse to look around as the voice of Gentiana filled your ears. However, before you could respond, the room began to fade into a bright white light before you blacked out.  

~!~

           Lunafreya’s & Ravus’s POV

           Lunafreya. I am with Noctis. We will be reunited soon! Please keep safe for now. – Y/N

           The words from the latest message from Noctis – from Y/N – swirled in Lunafreya’s head. She was okay. Her beloved sister was okay. She was with the love of her life. He was protecting her. Lunafreya would see her soon. Everything was going to be okay… at least that’s what Lunafreya wanted to believe. As her body continued to fight off the scourge and awaken the Gods, she could feel herself growing weaker and weaker by each passing day. She wasn’t sure if she would survive the awakening of the Leviathan, but she wasn’t going to give up. Noctis fulfilling his duty as the Chosen King was one of her top priorities. The other being reunited with Y/N, even if just for a little while. She missed her dearly and to know she was alive was a stress-reliever for the blonde woman. She would be reunited with two of the people she held dearly in her heart.

           Lunafreya let out a weak smile as she stood in her field of sylleblossoms. It was her favorite spot in all of Tenebrae. She and Y/N would always come out here to play as children and tend to the flowers. Lunafreya used to chuckle as Y/N would talk to the flowers that weren’t growing properly and telling them they better catch up to the others. She held many memories of Y/N in this field. It was where she could temporarily forget her duties as oracle and just spend quality time with her younger sister.

           “Sister!” The sound of Ravus’s voice rung through her ears causing them to perk up slightly. Why was he back in Tenebrae? Didn’t he have commander duties to tend to – such as glorifying the attempted murder of their sister? The thought of Ravus being in Y/N and her happy place pissed off the woman. Frowning, Lunafreya turned to throw a sharp glare at the older man. “Lunafreya-“

           “Why are you here, Ravus?” She shouted at the man, taking him aback slightly.

           “Lunafreya… what’s wrong? What’s gotten into you-“

           “Our mother told as kids to always be there for one another – never forget where we came from! I know she’s not from here originally but she’s a Nox Fleuret whether you believe she is or not! And to… to attempt to have her killed-“

           “It’s not like that at all! Listen to me-“

           “You may not see her as a sister anymore – especially after finding the truth behind her origins – but she’s my sister. She’ll always be my sister. I’m going to prepare for my trip to Altissia,” Lunafreya said as she began to storm off towards the castle. She had to begin to prepare for her trip to Altissia soon. Gentiana told her earlier they would be leaving before nightfall.

           Ravus’s eyes widened as Lunafreya’s words sunk in. She was going to Altissia to awaken the Sea Goddess, thus, risking her life in the process. At this point, Lunafreya was slowly killing herself… and all for him. Ravus already lost his mother to death and Y/N’s trust; he couldn’t lose Lunafreya. “Sister, cease this madness! That boy will never be king!”

           Stopping at his words, Lunafreya turned her head slightly behind her. “Noctis is chosen. It is ordained. You of all people should know.”

           “I know that you’re throwing your life away!” Ravus shouted at her.

           “That may be!” Lunafreya whipped around and shot another glare at the man. A silence fell upon them as the wind began to pick up, blowing some of the petals off the flowers around them. Ravus searched Lunafreya’s eyes that revealed how drained she was from summoning the Gods and healing people from the scourge. However, they also revealed how determined she was to fulfill her calling in life. She wasn’t going to give up no matter how much he begged her.

           “But…” Lunafreya began to speak again as the anger in her voice began to fade. “It’s my choice…”

           Ravus watched helplessly as his younger sister turned away from him and looked towards the sky, as if asking the Gods for her final request. It tore him inside to see not just Lunafreya, but Y/N, throwing their lives away for Noctis – someone who didn’t seem to acknowledge his calling or the sacrifices everyone around him were making. “If only… if only I could hear his voice once more…”

           Tears began to fall freely down Lunafreya’s face as she spoke about her wishes, “If only we could laugh together as we did as children… him, Y/N, and me… I just want to be with them…”

           “Lunafreya…” Ravus said quietly as he slowly approached the crying woman. Gently, he turned her towards him and enclosed her in his arms as she sobbed in his chest. It broke him to see her in so much pain. She didn’t deserve this life. She deserved to be happy with the ones she loved. Ravus wish there was a way he could take his sister’s pain away but there wasn’t. She was the oracle and it was her duty. Just like, though he hated to admit it, it was Noctis’s duty to save the world from the scourge that engulfed it.

~!~

           Your POV

           “The same reason you betrayed your home.”

           Gentiana’s words swirled in your head as you hastily moved to gather your things from your hotel room. You had to get out of here. You needed answers about your mother. More importantly, however, you had to escape from Noctis and his friends before they found out the truth about who you really were. If there was anything you learned from what you saw in your dreams and what happened to you as a kid, betraying others on this star led to death. You lucked out twice already; both times involving Lunafreya coming to your rescue. Lunafreya wasn’t around this time and if the Lucians found out about your origins, there would be no stopping them in killing you as you would be seen as a threat to the Chosen King – Noctis.

           Noctis…

           Your hand traced the jacket he had given you to compliment your new outfit you received as a treat from Iris. Though you knew traveling with him would be dangerous, you felt that the danger increased more as time went on. With Ardyn ready to spill your secrets to the boys at any given moment and, more importantly, the way Noctis made you feel – the situation called for aborting. Though you knew Lunafreya was somewhat safe, you still longed to get your revenge on Niflheim for all the mayhem they’ve caused in the first place. You’ve held 12 years of pent up anger and you were ready to release it on them. You wouldn’t be satisfied until you saw the Empire burn down. However, Lunafreya was priority. You knew fighting the Empire would ultimately lead to your death, so you wanted to see your sister for one last time. You’d rather die fighting for your revenge than by the hands of those who’s trust you’ve gained but would eventually break. But Noctis…

           You shook your head as you dropped your hand from the hanging jacket and walked towards the door, your hand pausing as it reached out for the door. Why was the thought of Noctis holding you back? Wouldn’t suddenly leaving without any notice hurt him? Haven’t you hurt him enough in the past couple of weeks? With all his friends and him have done to help you reunite with Lunafreya, wouldn’t this hurt all of them? Wasn’t this worse than them finding out you were from Niflheim – that you worked for the Empire? That it was because of you, Tenebrae was attacked, Lunafreya’s life was restricted to her oracle duties under Imperial watch, the falling of Insomnia, and the killing of King Regis? The killing of King Regis – Noctis’s father. The man that Noctis wept over in the comfort of your arms just last night – something he hadn’t been able to do since his father’s passing weeks ago? It was your fault – all your fault. How could any of them forgive you for that? Ravus barely forgave you when he found out where you truly came from.

           10 Years Ago (Age 10, one year after Queen Sylva’s death)

           “She has to go, Lunafreya!” Ravus barged into Lunafreya’s and your shared room one night. Startled from your sleep, you both quickly sat up, confused as to what Ravus was talking about. Before you could comprehend his words, he marched over to you and roughly grabbed you by the arm. Your eyes widened in fear as his blue ones bore hatred down onto you.

           “Ravus! What are you doing! You’re hurting her!” Lunafreya yelled as she climbed out of her bed and tried pulling Ravus away from you. Ravus only shook her off, however.

           “Don’t try to save this traitor, Lunafreya. She’s not a Nox Fleuret. She’s one of them,” Ravus snarled as tears began to pour down your face. “Don’t cry now! How can we trust you after all you’ve done?! You could be plotting to kill Lunafreya!”

           “Ravus!” Lunafreya screamed at the man as she again attempted to pull him off you.

           “Why would I kill my sister?” You wailed as you struggled to remove your arm from his grip. It was dark in the room, the only light coming from the moonlight that shone through the windows and the light from the opened bedroom door. However, you knew there were already purple and blue bruising on your arm from his grip.

           “She’s not your sister. Sisters don’t condone the killing of their mother! You’re just as bad as Regis and that son of his!”

           “Ravus! What are you talking about? Has the Empire brainwashed you? Y/N didn’t kill anyone! They tried to kill her!” Lunafreya yelled. “You saved her, remember?! We saved her!”

           “I should’ve let them have their way with you,” Ravus spat as he threw your arm aside, causing you to lose balance and fall back into your bed. “Pack your things. Get the hell out of here.”

           “Y/N, stay.” Lunafreya sternly looked at you before glaring over at Ravus. “You’ve been brainwashed by those emotionless creatures! Explain yourself!”

           “Lunafreya, there’s no need to-“

           “If you don’t explain then tonight you will lose two sisters.” Ravus let out a heavy sigh as he ran a stressed hand through his blond hair. His attention turned to you.

           “Tell her,” Ravus commanded. Teary eyed and snot flowing freely from your nose, you sniffed as you used the back of your arms to rub your eyes. You knew they’d found out someday, you just wish it wasn’t so soon.

           “I’m – I’m from Niflheim… my father… he works for them!” You stuttered. You avoided looking up at Lunafreya as you already knew there was shock and disbelief present on her face. “I was being trained under them… to be a soldier in the future. My first mission was to spy on your family… yours and King Regis’s and report back to the Empire. I was told you were bad people that had to be stopped.”

           “B-but!” You looked up at Lunafreya and directly stared her in her eyes. “You’re not bad! They’re the bad guys! I had no idea they would come to attack! They simply said they were gonna come get me when they felt it was time. I didn’t know they would kill our mommy or hurt you. I’m sorry, Lunafreya. Please forgive me. I’m not a bad person! I promise!”

           Tears streaming down your cheeks as you turned away from Lunafreya, you didn’t notice her walking slowly over to you. Sitting on your bed, she pulled you in for a hug as you began to wail into her bare shoulder.

           “Your name is Y/N Nox Fleuret. You’re from Tenebrae. You’re the daughter of Sylva Nox Fleuret. I’m not mad at you so there’s nothing to apologize for,” She looked away from you and shot a look at Ravus who was staring at the two of you. “That includes for our brother.”

           “Lunafreya, you can’t-“

           “Do you believe our mother would allow her to reside here and risk her life for her if she didn’t know about Y/N, Ravus? Don’t underestimate her.”

           Ravus parted his lips to speak but no words came out as he watched you grip onto Lunafreya as if your life depended on it. You were visibly shaking in the 13-year-old’s arms as she rubbed small circles on your back to soothe you. Ravus let out a heavy sigh. Lunafreya was right… you were harmless. There was no way their mom didn’t know about you. Besides, you risked your life to save Lunafreya – someone who worked for the Empire wouldn’t have done that. That was something… family would do for one another. Blinking back his own tears, Ravus slowly approached the two of you. Dropping down in front of you, he wrapped his arms around the two of you.

           “I’m sorry… my sisters. Please forgive me…”

           Present Day

           You wiped the tear that fell as you remembered that night. Though he apologized and forgave you, you knew he still didn’t fully trust you. That was obvious when he sent you out to get killed. You didn’t want to hurt Noctis again or have him see you in a negative light. Not just Noctis, but the others as well. They’ve been all you had along this journey and every day you risked losing them. To distance yourself from them was the only way to prevent from hurting them. Gripping the door handle, you turned again to look at the jacket that belonged to the prince.

The prince who has been making your heart race as of late as old feelings resurfaced. Feelings you locked away because Lunafreya loved him. Your sister who you were eternally indebted to after all she’s done and sacrificed for your sake. How could you allow yourself to love the prince when the one who mattered the most to you loved him as well? How could you betray her? You’d rather die. The entire purpose of the trip originally was to reunite the two, not fall for him. That’s why you had to get out of here. It was dangerous for everyone. You needed answers. You had to leave…

“Y/N? Are you ready? We’re about to leave for Hammerhead…” The voice of Ignis filled your ears. Sniffing quietly and wiping your face, you swiftly turned around to grab the jacket off the hanger. Grabbing the items you had gathered earlier, you opened the door and placed your signature smirk on your face.

“All set to sail,” You winked at the man as you pushed past him to meet the others downstairs.

~!~

           Noctis’s POV

           Something felt off. The feeling came upon the prince when they were leaving for Hammerhead earlier in the morning. As they were saying their “see you laters” to Iris, Talcott, and Jared, Noctis felt his heart drop suddenly to his stomach. He felt as if one of them… he wasn’t going to see later. As they conversed with Gladiolus and Ignis, he tried to shake off the feeling and say it was just his imagination. They were only going to be gone for a day or two, right? Everything was fine. There was no need to worry. After finding comfort in Y/N last night, he had glanced towards the older woman to see if he could catch her gaze. To his surprise, her eyes were fixated on the floor. Her fingers were gripping the sleeves of her – his – jacket tightly. She had been quiet all morning. The woman would usually be throwing sarcastic remarks at the men, especially Gladiolus. However, she seemed to be even ignoring him. Could she sense something was off as well?

           Noctis continued to think this as they sped down the highway to Hammerhead. Prompto had pointed out how there were more Imperials around than normal, all heading in different directions. However, Noctis took notice how most of them seemed to be heading in the direction of Lestallum. He shook his head as he tried to remove the thought from his mind. Glancing towards Y/N through his peripheral vision, he noticed the woman was looking towards the sky as another aircraft passed over them. She seemed to swallow hard before lowering her head and staring at her hands – more so, the ring that was placed on her right ring finger. Noctis didn’t know the importance of the ring, but he had noticed since traveling with Y/N, she’d fiddle with it when something was bothering her. He wanted to ask her what was wrong – and express his concerns as well – but she didn’t even open up to him last night. Instead, she got him to tell her what was bothering him and that was it. She was still keeping her thoughts bottled up.

           “You’re mighty quiet today, princess,” Gladiolus spoke up as he noticed Noctis worriedly looking at the woman in between them. Y/N didn’t give a vocal response as she just shrugged.

           “Yeah! You haven’t thrown an insult to us or expressed how much you dislike us all day,” Prompto turned from the front seat to look at the sulking woman. “What’s on your mind?”

           “I’m fine…” Y/N’s voice was slightly hoarse from not speaking for an extended amount of time. She gently cleared it before glancing up at the blonde man and gave him a soft smile. Noctis raised his brow at the gesture. Something was wrong. He nudged her arm slightly with his, causing her to suddenly jump from the contact. She looked at him but diverted her eyes to look past him so he couldn’t see her emotions. After flashing him the same soft smile, she focused her attention back on her ring.

           “I’ve been meaning to ask,” Prompto said, “But why do you always mess with your ring? I’ve never seen you take it off.”

           “My…” Y/N swallowed. “Sister gave it to me…”

           “Ah, a gift from Lady Lunafreya?” Ignis asked as he glanced at the woman through the rearview mirror. Y/N just nodded her head.

           “I’m sure she’s waitin’ for you in Altissia! You guys can catch up but first,” Prompto smirked towards Noctis suddenly, causing the prince to arch his brow again. “Noctis should spend some quality time with his wife-to-be, eh? They haven’t seen each other in 12 years after all!”

           Noctis’s eyes widened at Prompto’s words as he quickly turned to look at Y/N to see her reaction. However, to his disappointment, she was back to focusing on her ring.

           “Yeah... my sister… will be overjoyed to see you,” Y/N finally looked up into Noctis’s eyes. Noctis’s azure eyes widened as he finally saw the emotions within Y/N’s hazel ones. He saw confusion, anger, exhaustion, but most of all, he saw sadness. Just as Noctis blinked, Y/N glanced away from him. However, he kept his eyes glued to her. He didn’t know what had happened over the course of the night, but whatever it was, it was clearly bothering Y/N.

           The rest of the ride to Hammerhead was quiet except for Prompto occasionally turning in his seat to ask Gladiolus something. Ignis would through concerned glances to Y/N, who seemed lost in her own thoughts, ever so often. Noctis just let out a heavy sigh as he rested against the door of the car as he tried to swallow down the unsettling feeling he had.

~!~

           Your POV

           You sat in the diner as the guys were outside with Cindy discussing the condition of the Regalia – or more like, they were being lectured by the mechanic. She had sent you inside after seeing that something clearly was wrong with you. You had met Cindy when you first arrived at Hammerhead with the group of Insomnian refugees who rescued you. She was the one who patched up your bullet wound and made sure you had somewhere safe to stay for the night. She asked how you ended up the way you did but you were too distraught over the idea that Lunafreya, Noctis, and King Regis were dead at the time.

           Sighing, you looked out the window at the guys. They were clearly worried about you. Prompto tried to lighten your mood in the car about seeing Lunafreya soon, however, that didn’t even cheer you up. You guys didn’t even have a way to get to Altissia yet. The only thing everyone knew was that the oracle was there under Altissian and Imperial watch. You tightened your hand into a fist as the thoughts of the Imperials crossed your mind. Why had there been so many of them on your way to Hammerhead? You had an unsettling feeling in your stomach as you watched them invade the sky, most heading to Lestallum. You couldn’t connect as to why so many were heading in that direction, but it unsettled you.

           It seemed to worry Noctis as well. When you briefly met his eyes in the car, you noticed worry was in them – and not just for you, either. However, you couldn’t stare into the prince’s eyes for too long as memories of the previous night flashed in your mind. Though, just as quickly they surfaced, they began to be overcrowded by other thoughts such as betraying him and the gang with your affiliation with the Empire and betraying your beloved sister as well by having growing feelings for the man she was in love with. You had turned away before he could read too deeply into them. Thoughts of running away again crossed your mind as you sat in the booth. You could easily sneak out behind the diner and hike it towards the nearest train station. It wasn’t as if you haven’t walked long distances before. Of course, if you did this, then you’d be heading right to Niflheim – to Gralea, the capital where the Empire was located. You would execute your plan of revenge as well as finding more information about your mother, but the downfall to this was you wouldn’t have a chance to say goodbye to Lunafreya.

           You let out a quiet, frustrated sigh as you buried your head into your arms. Although you desperately wanted to find out more about your biological mother and how she came to betray Niflheim, you also wanted to see Lunafreya again. You wanted to reunite with her one last time where you would see her reconnect with Noctis after so long. Then you would leave the group and go for your revenge. This was the ideal plan, but how long could you hold up? There were so many secrets and confusion inside of you that you wanted to explode.

           “Penny for your thoughts?” Ignis’s voice filled your ears as you lifted your head up to look at him. Frowning at the sight of him, you dropped your head back down. “Hm, guess not.”

           “Why would I talk to you?” You mumbled out after hearing him take a sit in the booth in front of you.

           “Well, I could see something was or has been bothering you and thought you’d care to chat with someone you’re not too familiar with,” Ignis said as he intertwined his fingers and glanced down at you. Lifting your head back up, you frowned again.

           “Why aren’t you out there overseeing Noctis getting injured or something?” You spat at the man. He briefly looked taken aback before clearing his throat.

           “As we discussed before, Noctis is the Chosen King and he must-“

           “Fulfil his duties, got it. However,” You sat up fully, “You don’t have to watch him get obliterated by these so-called Gods everyone on this dumb star worships.”

           “There’s nothing I can do to assist-“

           “Yeah, okay, Ignis. I get it. You’re his adviser. Your duty is to make sure he fulfils his – whether that ends in his death or not, right?”

           “Y/N, I don’t think you understand-“

           “No, I understand completely. Look, maybe before he becomes king and you become his official adviser, you should learn to be more compassionate. Life isn’t all about fulling duties, you know? Do you think I’d be here right now if I fulfilled my-“ You instantly stopped talking as your eyes widened at your words. You almost revealed yourself to Ignis.

           “Fulfilled what?” Ignis arched a brow at you.

           Standing up and stretching, you shook your head at him. “Just… try to care more about the person you want to protect rather than him fulfilling his duty is all I’m saying. Can’t fulfil his duty if he’s… dead, right?”

           With that, you walked towards the door of the diner to go catch up with the others. Ignis watched through the window as you slowly made your way to the others by the car. Prompto grinned at you as Gladiolus smirked. Noctis, however, seemed to be throwing you worried glances again that you seemed to brush off as you went to lean on one of the gas pumps, an unamused expression on your face. However, Ignis caught something. As he continued to study you, he saw you quickly glance towards Noctis who was already gazing towards you. Immediately, you had shifted your eyes away from his and pushed yourself off the pump. Without acknowledging them any further, you headed towards the trailer where everyone would be resting for the night. Suddenly, Ignis knew why you continuously lectured him on caring more for Noctis’s wellbeing.

           “It would appear… the future king has captured the hearts of both the Nox Fleuret sisters…” Ignis smirked quietly to himself.

~!~

           You lay in the bed of the trailer, wide awake, as everyone else slept around you. The thought of sleeping was the last thing on your mind as thoughts raced a mile a minute. Sighing in frustration, you shifted your body to look at the two sleeping men occupying the other bed. Noctis and Prompto were fast asleep, probably tired from the long drive from Lestallum to Hammerhead. You knew on the floor were Ignis and Gladiolus. The soft snores and breathing of the four men filled your ears as they slept. Turning  onto your back, you stared at the ceiling. The streetlights from outside peeked through the cracks of the closed blinds and casted a small shadow on the ceiling of the trailer. Thoughts of how you almost revealed yourself to Ignis earlier today swirled inside your head. What would’ve happened if you let your frustration towards the older man get the best of you? Would you have not caught yourself from revealing the truth? It was becoming clearer as time passed with the men that keeping the secret was becoming tougher. Especially now that so many other secrets were swallowing you whole. As you thought about your dreams, Gentiana’s words, and your history with the Empire, it felt like you couldn’t breathe. It was as if the more you thought about them, the more they began to consume you.

           Inhaling deeply, you carefully sat up in the bed. Your body tensed as the bed squeaked and movement from below could be heard. After making sure the man – Gladiolus - hadn’t been disturbed from his sleep, you swung your legs over the edge of the bed and slipped on your slippers. Ignis slept at the foot of Noctis and Prompto’s shared bed while Gladiolus slept at yours. Holding your breath, you quietly stepped over the muscular man who was fast asleep. You just needed some fresh air to clear your mind. As you successfully reached the door of the trailer, a cell phone could be heard going off near the beds. Your eyes widened as you swiftly dashed towards your bed before the sound of the ringing phone startled the boys from their sleep. Ignoring the creaking of the bed from your body being thrown onto it, you pulled the covers over your head. You let out a tiny sigh as you heard Gladiolus’s deep, sleep-filled voice quietly fill the room.

           “Hello…?” He answered groggily. You listened as it was quiet for a while before you heard him jump up suddenly.

           “Gladio? What’s wrong?” You heard Ignis’s hushed voice.

           “Wait, Iris, calm down, what’s wrong? What happened-“ Gladiolus stopped talking as, you assumed, Iris cut him off. Your heart began to pound as you could hear the urgency in the usually calm man’s voice. Something was wrong.

           “What’s going on?” Now Prompto’s voice could be heard. You heard brief footsteps before seeing light flood through the room from them being switched on.

           “We’re coming! We’ll be there as soon as we can,” Gladiolus said through the phone. Pulling away, he turned to the rest of the group, “Wake the hell up! We have to get to Lestallum now!”

           Not knowing what was going on, you threw the covers off you to see Gladiolus storming out of the trailer as Ignis was grabbing the Regalia’s keys off the counter. Prompto had just shaken awake Noctis, who was confused about the commotion, and was trying to inform him how they had to leave for Lestallum.

           “What – why? What’s wrong?” Noctis asked as he climbed from the bed and began to gather his things as well.

           “Something happened in Lestallum. I don’t know the exact details, but Lady Iris called and is asking we get there immediately,” Ignis said. “I’m going to start the car.”

           Your heart pounded in your chest as thoughts of what could possibly be wrong filled your head. Was everything okay? You mean, of course things weren’t okay if Iris was calling in the middle of the night, requesting you guys to return as soon as you could. But was everyone okay? Did it have something to do with all those Imperial ships you guys saw heading towards the city earlier in the day? Did they do to Lestallum what they did to Insomnia…?

           “Y/N, let’s go!” Prompto shouted as he threw your jacket at you. Grabbing it, you nodded your head as you swung your legs from the bed and stood up. Sliding on the jacket and running to grab your shoes, your eyes briefly glanced over at Noctis. His face was filled of worry as he rushed past you and out the trailer. You knew that he could tell something was direly wrong. Preparing yourself for whatever was coming when you arrived in Lestallum, you turned the lights out in the trailer and followed after Prompto as you both exited.

~!~

           It was about 7am when you guys had arrived at the city. The morning sun was already sitting in the sky and everything seemed calm as far as you could tell. However, you knew the calmness also meant something was wrong. Lestallum was usually a bustling city, no matter what time of day. Street vendors, kids, tourists, Insomnian refugees, and the female power plant workers could often be seen littering the streets. However, today everyone seemed to have taken shelter in their homes as the streets were practically empty besides a few stragglers. With them not knowing of Noctis’s status, they only eyed you and the guys suspiciously as you hastily made your way to the Leville. The suspicious looks made your heart pound as they weren’t looks you had received before in your previous visits to Lestallum. Someone had invaded the city in your absence and made the people wary. And you had a feeling as to just who that someone was.

           “Everything looks okay,” Prompto let out a nervous laugh to brighten up the mood.

           “Yeah, well, Iris didn’t sound okay,” Gladiolus said.

           As soon as you guys entered the hotel, everyone witnessed Iris standing in front of the couch of the hotel, her face stained with tears. Your eyes widened as you took in the image of the usually peppy teenager.

           “Oh Gladdy,” She said solemnly. Gladiolus immediately approached his sister as tears began to stream down her face again.

           “What’s wrong?” Gladiolus asked as he placed his hands on her shoulder.

           “I let you down. We… were supposed to be heading to Caem but we never made it…” She sniffed. “The Empire came… while you were gone.”

           “What?” Noctis’s eyes widened as he approached the teen. She looked over at him and more tears poured from her eyes. “H-hey, let’s go to your room so you can explain everything to us, okay?”

           Iris nodded as she removed herself from Gladiolus’s grip and eyed everyone. As her eyes met yours, you felt a chill rundown your spine. Her brown orbs bore into yours temporarily before she wiped her face with the back of her arm and began to lead everyone up the stairs to her room.

           As everyone entered, Prompto gently shut the door behind him as everyone gathered around Iris who was still quietly sobbing in a chair. You looked at all the men and how they were unsure of how to initiate the conversation with the crying girl. Ignoring your feelings from earlier that were still present, you inhaled deeply before walking over to Iris. Gently, you placed a hand on her upper back and began to rub small circles. She had become tense from your sudden, unexpected touch but you felt her calming slightly as you continued to comfort her.

           “They… they came looking for Noctis,” Iris said as she stared down at her intertwined fingers. Tears that fell from her eyes fell directly onto them, seeping into the cracks of her hands. “None of said a word about Noct. They just showed up and then… poor Jared.”

           You hand briefly stopped as Iris struggled said to say the elderly man’s name. Everyone’s breath in the room hitched and the only sound that could be heard was Iris’s sniffs.

           “What do you mean? What happened to Jared?” Gladiolus asked calmly. You solemnly looked over to him and everyone else in the room. Each of you already knew what she meant by her words but still, you knew none of you would be able to accept it unless you heard it come from her mouth. Prompto’s foot was bouncing uncontrollably from the bed he was sitting on as a look of frustration and fright was present on his face. The look confused you as you found yourself staring at him. What was he afraid of? If anyone should be afraid, it should’ve been you. The Imperials, the people you once worked for, took the life of another Insomnian close to the Royal Family. First their home, then their king, and now Gladiolus’s and Iris’s family servant and friend. Your heart dropped before Iris could mention Jared’s death. You at least thought Gladiolus would be able to have a forgiving heart once you revealed the truth – if you revealed the truth. But now? He was going to side with Noctis and the rest of them… again, the Empire killed someone who was an important factor to the men’s lives.

           “There was nothing we could do!” Iris suddenly shouted, causing you to jump from your thoughts and remove your hand from her. You gulped down the lump that was forming in your throat as you took a step back from the sobbing girl. You’d only met Jared a couple of times throughout your adventure with the boys and could tell he was a man that highly respected the Royal Family and sought the safety of Noctis. Before you guys left yesterday morning, Jared was talking about discovering King Regis’s boat in their old hideout in Cape Caem. He was going to travel there with Iris and Talcott for safety. They were supposed to leave today…

           As silence engulfed the room, the creak of the door opening could be heard along with the sniffs of a kid. You knew it could only be Talcott as it was his grandfather. Everyone’s heads turned towards the boy who stood crying in the doorway. Your hand immediately went to your heart as it began to ache from everything that was happening. Looking up, you saw Noctis slowly approach Talcott and squat down to his height. You could tell from his posture that he didn’t really know what to say to comfort him. Besides, he, himself, just recently learned how to mourn over the death of his father. Now he had to try to cheer up someone who admired him as a leader.

           “It’s not right… we should’ve been here…” Noctis said regrettably. You blinked back tears as you heard his words. He was taking the blame for Jared’s death. But why? It wasn’t his fault… if anyone was at fault… it was yours.

           “I-I couldn’t stop them!” Talcott stuttered out as tears still flowed down his cheeks. Noctis let out a heavy, slow breath as he looked at the kid.

           “But… I won’t let the empire get away with it. They’ll pay for what they’ve done,” Your eyes widened at Noctis’s words. Though he was attempting to reassure the kid, you could hear the vengeance in his voice. He was serious. He was going to see the end to the empire. He was going to see the end… to you. “I promise.”

           “I believe in you, Prince Noctis…” Talcott continued to cry. Without knowing, you slowly began to approach the kid. He and Noctis looked up at you as you stood before them. Noctis moving slightly out of the way, you crouched down and pulled Talcott into a tight hug. His brown eyes widened before coming overfilled with tears. He gripped onto you tightly as he sobbed into your chest as you tightly held onto him, trying to stop your own tears from spilling out. Why was this happening? Why…?

           “They…” Iris’s voice said from the chair she still sat in. “They were looking for you as well, Y/N…”

           Your heart stopped at Iris’s words. That’s right… you were still wanted by them for escaping the destruction of Insomnia and the train massacre.

           “Why Y/N?” Gladiolus arched a brow at his sister. Iris just shrugged.

           “We figured it was something dealing with Lady Lunafreya, so just as we did with Noct, we didn’t tell them anything. However, that seemed to piss them off even more. One of them said to tell her that her father is looking for her… what did they mean by that, Y/N?” You felt the eyes of everyone on your back. Even Talcott had pulled away slightly and looked at you. Meanwhile, you could feel your mind literally escaping the moment as Iris’s words from the empire rang throughout your head.

           “Your father is looking for you, Lady Y/N!” A maid said to the nine-year-old you. You were in Lunafreya and your shared room, playing with some cards, when the maid had knocked on your door. Excitement immediately filling your body, you hoped up and opened the door. Only to your surprise, it wasn’t a maid at the door, but an Imperial soldier. Screams could be heard throughout the castle along with a sudden loud explosion from outside. Your eyes widened as you looked past the female soldier and down the hall.

           “Where’s Lunafreya? And Ravus? And King Regis-“

           “You’ve fulfilled your duty! It’s time to return home with us, young woman,” You could hear the smile in her voice. Shaking your head, you pushed past her.

           “No! I have to find my sister!”

           “Your sister? My, have you forgotten who you are? Glauca and your dad will be disappointed…”

           “I… I don’t know…” You said as you mentally returned to the room. Everyone was looking at you, waiting for an answer.

           “Well, Talcott and I are going to Caem. We… we can’t just stay here and do nothing!”

           Noctis sadly shifted his eyes from you to the crying Iris as he let out a shaky breath. “I understand.”

~!~

           That was the final straw. You had to leave tonight. The longer you stayed with the men, the more it was becoming dangerous for you and everyone involved. The Empire had no remorse when it came to killing off Insomnian royalty and those affiliated with them. You couldn’t allow anyone else to get hurt. Frantically, you tore off Noctis’s jacket and tossed it on your hotel bed. Everyone should be asleep by now after the events that happened earlier today. Though your body was mentally and physically exhausted, you had no choice but to leave. Thoughts of dying before seeing Lunafreya for one last time tried to convince you to change your mind, however, you were determined. You wanted your revenge on the empire. At least when Noctis and the other’s eventually finds out where you came from and who you worked for, they’ll know you died being on their side. You’ve always been on their side since the day Queen Sylva took you in. However, now, you had to prove it to them and yourself.

           Knock. Knock.

           Your head whipped to the door before dashing to hide the small bag you had begun to pack to take along with you. “Uh… one second!”

           Quickly you shoved the bag under the covers of your bed and walked towards the door to open it. Your heart raced in fear that one of the boys or even Iris had pieced together how you related to everything that had been happening as of late. Gulping nervously, you threw the open to reveal Prompto. Before you could get a word out, he barged into your room and slammed the door behind him.

           “Prompto, what the hell?” You frowned at the male blond. However, the frown softened as he looked up at you with a saddened face. “Uh…”

           “Can I tell you something?”

           You blinked confusedly at the male. “Uh… wouldn’t you rather tell Noctis or someone you’re, I don’t know, closer to?”

           “It has to be you,” He said, “But first, can I ask you something?”

           “S-sure?” You arched a brow at him.

           “How’d you get that scar on your neck?” He bluntly asked. Your mouth fell open slightly as your hand immediately flew to your neck to cover the marking with your hair – something you often did out of habit whenever the scar was mentioned.

           “It’s uh, from an injury as a child…” You said as you turned away from the male. “Isn’t it late? Shouldn’t you be asleep like the others?”

           “Y/N,” Prompto walked over to you. “That’s not a normal scar. How’d you get it-”

           “Why are you here?” You raised your voice at him. You felt your nervousness beginning to turn into anger the longer Prompto stayed in your room.

           “Can you please just answer my question? I need to know-“

           “Get the fuck out,” You said as you removed your bag from under the covers, not caring whether he saw or not.

           “Where are you going? Are you leaving?” Prompto’s eyes widened.

           “And what if I am?”

           “Are you from – never mind, if anyone shouldn’t be here… it should be me…” He let out a heavy sigh as he ran his fingers through his hair. Stopping at what you were doing, you lowered the bag in your hands and looked at him.

           “What… do you mean?” You asked slowly.

           “Gods, I’m one of them, Y/N. I’m from Niflheim! Born and raised until about age ten when I moved to Insomnia to escape from my family back there. I can’t help but feel guilty… like I’m part of the reason all these events are happening… I feel like I’ve betrayed everyone…”

           Your mouth fell open slightly as the bag you were holding dropped to floor with a soft thud. Prompto looked up at you with angry tears filling the corner of his eyes.

           “I just had to tell someone… who may understand what I’m going through. Someone who doesn’t feel like they belong. I know you don’t like traveling with us, so I thought it’d be easier to tell someone not from Insomnia… though I guess you’d hate me, too, since it was the Empire who separated you from your sister and tried to kill you off…”

           “Prompto…” You said slowly as tears began to fill your eyes. Prompto’s eyes widened as you lifted your hair, revealing to him the flesh-colored ‘x’ scar. Prompto couldn’t help but stare as it was marked almost perfectly. He slowly inched towards you as he stared at it. He could tell it was a deep scar from the way it was raised on your skin, if it would’ve been any deeper, the blade that caused it would’ve definitely hit something important and cause you to bleed to death. “This scar… wanna know what it represents?”

           Prompto blinked as he just nodded his head at you.

           “It represents the day a nine-year-old me decided to betray her country of Niflheim and her love for the Empire to protect those who really cared and loved her…”

           “Y-you’re from Niflheim as well?” Prompto swallowed hard as your words replayed inside his head.

           “I was a special spy for the Empire…”

           “You were there… you saw everything that went down that day in Tenebrae… you-“

           “Caused it?” You let out a bitter laugh as you sat on the edge of your bed, eyeing the ring Lunafreya had given you. “That’s why I tell you guys not to call me a princess…”

           “What?” Prompto blinked at you as you glanced towards him with pain in yours eyes.

           “I’m not a princess… I’m a traitor to everyone around me.”