Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“I should have saved some fireflies in a bottle,” said a young Noctis. He was on his way home from an outing with his family. It was supposed to be “bonding time” but King Regis, Noctis’ father, sat afar completing some paperwork as Noctis played with the fireflies in the distance. Noctis rested his head on his nanny’s shoulder who sat next to him. The car ride was smooth, lulling him to sleep. But occasionally, he would feel a small squeeze in his left hand. On his left was his twin sister, Astra. Astra was born only a few minutes before Noctis, a fact she so proudly reminds him. “It’s Please, big sister . Say it or I won’t give you my candy,” she’d tease. Noctis gave in every time since it did no harm. But now at 8 years old, he fears the seniority has gone to her head. Even then, she was a good sister. Well, as good as a sister could be, he supposes. He glanced at her whose head drifted every which way; she was somehow asleep. Unlike Noctis’ black hair, Astra’s was a dark grey. He teased her by saying her hair would turn entirely grey by the time she was an adult. She’d claim it was because she had such an annoying little brother. Thinking of their arguments, Noctis peacefully closed his eyes. 

Suddenly, the car stopped. The nanny placed her arm in front of the two children in an attempt to protect them. This awoke Astra out of her slumber who squeezed Noctis’ hand even tighter. Both Astra and Noctis looked out the window, hoping to find the reason for the sudden stop but they couldn’t reach to see. They did, however, see the pale face the nanny donned as she looked out the window. Screams and crashing could be heard outside the car. The nanny rushed the two children out of the car and ran away; she held onto Noctis’ hand who in turn held onto Astra’s. The two children cursed with a curious nature turned to look at the reason for their fleeing. They shouldn’t have. 

A demon tossed aside the cars with ease and the blood of faithful bodyguards splattered across its face. There was no emotion in it. No remorse or anger. Noctis and Astra ran as fast as their small legs, but it didn’t matter. Within seconds, the demon was right behind them. It clawed at them, immediately killing the nanny and injuring the two children. All three had collapsed on the ground from the impact. Noctis was bleeding, but he couldn’t tell just how much of it was his since the now almost unrecognizable nanny was beside him. Astra was only harmed on her back and right arm. Noctis’ consciousness was drifting away into sleep, but he could see his sister stand up and shield him with her body from the demon as she held onto her injured arm. He couldn’t see her face but heard her crying. She never cried before.

The demon reached for Astra, ready to strike. Astra screamed; Noctis didn’t know if it was out of fear or rage. All he knew was that they were going to die. But then, Astra extended her left hand forward and materialized a shield, blocking the demon’s attack. The demon’s claw bounced back from the sudden impact, and Noctis could hear it screech in the distance. He wouldn’t be able to hold on for much longer. The demon tried again and again. It wasn’t until the third hit that Astra’s shield shattered, sending her flying back next to Noctis. Noctis gathered his strength and opened his eyes once more so he could look at Astra. Her eyes were closed, and her breathing was heavy. Her face was pale and strained; streaks of light grey adorned Astra’s hair. Those weren’t there before. Noctis reached out for Astra’s hand and squeezed it tight. His eyes closed, but he could feel the shadow of the demon grow near. Then, the demon screeched once more but out of fear.

Noctis willed his eyes open and saw the demon surrounded by bodyguards. In the distance, King Regis stood tall as he summoned the royal arms of kings past. King Regis continuously attacked the demon without letting up, slowly pushing the demon to the edge of the cliff behind it. The fear Noctis felt was overwritten with relief within seconds. The last thing Noctis saw was his father rushing to the two after pushing the demon off the cliff, but the last thing he heard was his name.

It wasn’t until days later that Noctis awoke. Even then, it was for a short while— just enough to see his father at his bedside and Astra laying on his bed,  still holding his hand. The next time Noctis was properly conscious, he was on his way to Tenebrae for healing. At Tenebrae, he met Princess Lunafreya of Tenebrae, the Oracle. Noctis didn’t know what that meant exactly— just that it was somehow her destiny to guide and assist the True King, Noctis.

“True King?” Astra muttered to herself. It was impolite, but she had been eavesdropping on the conversation between Luna and Noctis. She somehow missed the chance to go in. The term sounded familiar but she still couldn’t remember. She hated not knowing, so she borrowed the Royal Library at the palace in Tenebrae. All of the Oracles descended from Tenebrae so they had an extensive collection. She would freely read whenever she could and even interrogated Luna several times. But it never led anywhere important. “Father, what’s the True King?” Astra asked King Regis as they strolled through the woods of Tenebrae. Luna and Noctis played together ways off, and the rest of the Tenebrae royalty  and counsel was a distance away from both Astra and King Regis too. 

Astra had expected her father to answer her question with a kind smile as he told her some old story as he often did. But instead, Astra only saw a remorseful expression spread across her father’s face. Somehow, the same fear she felt when she was being attacked by the demon won her over in the Royal Woods of Tenebrae even as she held onto her father’s hand. A variety of different scenarios ran through Astra’s head, but no matter what, she could only think of bad things. Her heart sped up with every second, and she felt as though it was all she could hear until she felt the air tremble. Clearly, her father felt it too. Something was amiss. Then, Astra saw it.

Imperial ships of Niflheim hovered over the woods. It’s intense machinery could be heard from below. Within seconds and without warning, metal men dropped down from their airships. Lucis was known for its magic, but Niflheim was known for its technology. The metal men, known as robotik Magitek, began shooting into the group of Tenebrae people. King Regis surveyed the area, looking for Luna and Noctis, without letting go of Astra’s hand. As the two made their way to them, Astra felt the hair on her arms stand up. Her father stumbled forward with surprise. He knew who had attacked him before turning around, “General Glauca.” Astra had only heard stories of the terror the man in armor caused, but somehow, her heart was steady. Maybe it was because the man’s armor paled in comparison to the demon she saw not long ago.

King Regis moved Astra behind him as he faced General Glauca. General Glauca attacked, but King Regis parried. Her father summoned the Royal Arms and sent him flying back. King Regis ran to Noctis and Luna who were only a few steps away from the two and picked Noctis up from his wheelchair. Astra held onto her father’s arm as Luna held onto his hand. They all ran as fast as they could pass the dead and dying. Astra could hear the screams and pleas of mercy. Ravus, brother of Lunafreya, cried out to King Regis for salvation, but her father continued running. Then, the unthinkable happened: Luna let go. Astra also let go without noticing and reached out for Luna. Her father, however, grasped onto Astra’s hand and pulled her along with him, leaving Luna behind. 

That was years ago.

Chapter Text

Astra and Noctis’ 13th birthday was approaching. Noctis began acting differently, and Astra could only assume it was because he was now going to officially be a “teen.” Astra took every chance she could to mock as a good older sister would. Neither Astra or Noctis had left Insomnia ever since they got back from Tenebrae years ago, but even then, their days were always busy, especially Astra’s. She still had not given up on figuring out what was the purpose of the True King and why her father would avoid every conversation about it. Out of a simple gut feeling, she didn’t disclose her curiosity to Noctis. Astra instead visited bookstores and libraries in her spare time; she had already gone over all the books in the library at the Citadel.  It wasn’t a total loss even if her questions remained unanswered. Astra always learned something new regardless of the book she picked up. The King’s Council always praised her for her intellect and wisdom, but maybe they just said those things because she was a princess.

School was more of a chore for Astra. She passed her classes to the point she was moved up, leaving Noctis behind. Astra always did her best on her schoolwork, and Noctis only made sure to put just the right amount of effort necessary to look good on paper. She couldn’t blame her brother when he was constantly surrounded by people who drained him; socializing was not his forte. She didn’t suffer from his same predicament; she was told that unlike Noctis who was quiet and mysterious, she was quiet and intimidating. But even though her little brother was no longer with her, she made sure to keep an eye for him and even saved him from the overwhelming crowd that always formed around him. It was when she was checking up on her little brother that she noticed he was being shadowed by a blonde boy.

She slowly and quietly approached the boy. He hid behind a lamppost, watching Noctis lean on the school’s gate; he was waiting for her to go home. But, he could wait a little more. One step away, and still the blonde boy couldn’t sense her presence. She leaned forward and whispered, “Boo.” The boy jumped with a yelp, dropping a couple of papers he held. Now facing her, Astra could see the blonde boy’s face. He had light freckles on his face, blue eyes and wore glasses. She was taller than him despite the fact she could tell they were the same age, but Astra was taller than most kids her age.

“I’m sorry,” the boy immediately apologized with a bow. Astra tilted her head and further examined the boy, but the boy remained bowing with his eyes closed.

“Why are you apologizing?” Astra picked up the papers and held them out for him to grab, but his eyes remained closed. “Enough of that. Open your eyes.”

The boy opened his eyes to look at her. He didn’t speak a word and only stared at her. She coughed. “Oh, thank you.” He took the papers from her. “I was just thinking,” said the boy, kicking the dirt. Astra glanced at Noctis who was unaware of the event unfolding behind him, and then looked back at the boy. 

“He could use a friend. A real one,” she said. “You look nice.” 

“You know the prince?” Astra laughed. Despite being twins, Noctis did have a bigger presence than Astra, and the two were no longer in the same grade. Astra nodded, “Better than most.”

The boy looked back at Noctis, then Astra, then down at himself. He pouted. “No, I have to do this on my own,” he said quietly, most likely to himself.

“Well, I know approaching a prince must be hard. So, I hope that could at least serve as some encouragement,” she patted his shoulder. She walked past the boy and turned around upon remembering. “Wait, what’s your name?”

The boy fixed his meek posture and stood tall. “P-prompto!” He yelled with a small crack in his voice. Astra couldn't help but giggle. He returned back to his normal posture and asked, “And yours?”

“Astra!” Without saying anything else, she turned around and left to go to Noctis. Noctis sighed at the sight of her, “You take too long.” She could feel Prompto’s stare as she and Noctis entered the car and left. Even in the car, she giggled to herself. She already liked the blonde boy.

The following days, Astra could find Prompto near Noctis, watching in the distance. When he met her for the first time after their introductions, he apologized for not recognizing her. Astra only playfully recognized his apology when he brought her a sweet. The two hung out often after school. She already had a designated free-time in her schedule for whenever she visited libraries and bookstores and decided to spare some of it for Prompto. Eventually, it was split in half. She would often go on runs with him, and he would often join her whenever she visited a library and bookstore. 

“So why are you trying to lose weight?” asked Astra when the two took a small pause from their jog to take a drink. Astra passed Prompto the bottle as he remained running in place.

“I have a goal I want to reach,” said Prompto before taking a drink. Broad but valid , thought Astra. “What about you? Why are you always going to libraries and bookstores?”

“I have a goal I want to reach,” she said with a mischievous smile. There was no way she was going to tell him when she hadn’t even told Noctis who was the closest person to her.

Prompto gave an exasperated sigh, “How are you not tired?” 

“Since we were ten, Noctis and I have followed a strict physical regimen.”

“Ten! That’s brutal.” Prompto handed the bottle back to Astra. “Your birthday is coming up soon, right?”

Astra furrowed her brows. “I never told you my birthday.”

“No?” Prompto panicked.

“Nope.” She flashed Prompto another mischievous smile— the smile that made Prompto’s heart skip a beat.

“Nooooo,” he said loudly. “You didn’t. I remember now. But you’re Noctis’ twin, and everybody at school knows his birthday.”

Astra remained smiling as she lightly bit her lip, “Right. Of course.”

“Anyways, we should get going. You have a curfew and can’t stay out late.”

“What a gentleman.”

Prompto and Astra continued their jog and finished on time. As usual, Ignis awaited her to accompany her back to the Citadel. The two children said their goodbyes and went on their merry way. Inside the car, Astra rode in the front passenger seat. 

“If your father were to see you riding in the front seat, he’d reprimand us both,” said Ignis without taking his eyes off the road.

“I’m tall enough to ride in the front, Mom ,” said Astra mockingly, rubbing the bridge of her nose with a sigh.

Ignis glanced at Astra who leaned her head on the window. “You’re not sleeping well,” he pointed out.

“I’m sleeping just fine. I’m just tired.”

“You should cut down on some of your—”

“I’m not stopping my search.”

Ignis and Astra remained quiet for the rest of the ride. As usual, Astra used this time to get some shut-eye, a habit Ignis said she shared with Noctis. Once at the Citadel, Ignis opened the car door for Astra.

“Thanks,” she said. A habit she’s been told is unnecessary for a princess.

“The boy you hang out with…” said Ignis.

“What about him?” asked Astra halfway up the stairs, leading to the main door.

“I simply think it’d do you well to spend more time with those your age.”

“What about you?”

Ignis took in a deep breath, “My duty is to the heir of the throne.”

Astra scoffed at his textbook answer. “Well, you know my duty,” she answered. She arrived inside where there were several servants waiting to attend to her. One took her bag, and another took her jacket. She left to her room followed by the two servants who left her belongings with her once she had arrived. Other royal families have servants help them change in and out of their clothes, but the Lucis royalty wasn’t like that. Astra changed into her casual clothes for home. A servant informed her that dinner was ready, and she left to eat. It was just her and Noctis; although her father did his best to eat dinner as a family, he often couldn’t as he had to attend to his duties as King. It was always about one’s duty.

Noctis and Astra conversed normally. They sat beside each other despite the grand size of their dining table. In the eyes of others, the two were more different than alike, but Astra thought the opposite. To Astra, Noctis was her best friend. She found pride in the fact that only she could make him smile and laugh like a normal child, and she was proud to be his sister. Dinner passed, and they each returned to their rooms to complete their work. By the time it was night, Astra longed for her bed. She wrapped herself in her blanket and closed her eyes, allowing the dark to lull her to sleep. But recently, her nights were not so peaceful.

Recently, she had her sleep interrupted by abrupt flashing images that left her with a waking headache. The images flashed too fast for her to be able to tell what they were about; she just wanted them to stop. But she could make out one image: the Crystal. Astra thought maybe it was taunting her because of her magical disposition. Because of these “nightmares,” she had been waking up earlier than usual and decided to place her usual physical regimen— that typically took place later in the day— at the start of her day. No matter how early she arrived at the training room, Gladio was always there; it made her think he just lived there. Despite excelling in combat for her age, Astra struggled to implement her royal Crystal-given abilities. Lucian royals had been gifted with the Crystal by the gods to be able to command  magic. Her father excelled at it as king, and even Noctis— who just recently began training with it— was a quick study. The first and last time Astra successfully used her abilities to its full potential was four years ago when Noctis and her were attacked by the daemon.

After training, it was a shower then breakfast with Noctis. The two rode together for school in the morning; in the mornings, she sat in the back with Noctis. He always napped on the way to school as if he hadn’t slept all night. Occasionally, he’d rest his head on Astra’s shoulder and wake up red and embarrassed before storming out the car. If she had a quarter for every time she found herself sighing at school, she’d have enough money to rival Lucis’ wealth. Despite not having to deal with the same crowd Noctis had, she did have to deal with nagging teachers, hoping to please her.

The following days repeated themselves. Nightmare. Training. School. Prompto. Dinner. Work. Repeat. Before she knew, it was the day before her 13th birthday. But even then, her day was mundane. From afar, she could see the countless girls who approached Noctis wish him an early birthday since their birthday fell on the weekend. The social distress Noctis found himself in made Astra laugh as she watched from a window. She spent her after school free-time with Prompto at a new bookstore he introduced to her. The two sat across each other reading. Prompto read manga, and she read a scholarly book on the Crystal. Prompto quietly stole glances at Astra who was fully immersed in her book, but even then, she was always oddly aware of Prompto. 

“Do I have something on my face?”

Prompto coughed out of surprise and laughed. He had noticed Astra would smile whenever he would. “No, I was just remembering tomorrow’s your birthday.” 

Astra nodded as she turned the page of her book.

“I know I’m probably not the first, but I wanted to tell you ‘Happy Birthday’,” said Prompto as he hid behind his manga.

Astra said nothing and made Prompto’s anxiety levels rise. She lowered Prompto’s manga, revealing his flushed face with closed eyes. Somehow, this made her smile even more. “You are.”

Prompto slowly opened his eyes and a part of him wished he hadn’t since it made a fluttery feeling appear inside of him. But, for the most part, he was glad he opened his eyes. Almost poetically, the sun’s rays from outside surrounded her. Her smile was always wide, and her eyes always looked straight at him. Some kids at school believed her hair resembled the grey hair that their grandparents had, but Prompto thought it made her befitting of her name. To him, she resembled a star in the night. But here she was under the sun, smiling at him. “I am what?” He finally managed to ask.

“The first.” She let Prompto’s manga go. “The first to wish me a happy birthday.”

Prompto looked down and nodded slowly with a smile. The two returned merrily to their reading. Time passed faster than they wished, and it was time to leave. Ignis awaited Astra outside the bookstore. Right before Astra entered the car, Prompto called out to her.

“Astra!” He yelled despite being only a few steps away.

She turned around, “Hm?”

Prompto fidgeted with his camera which he always had on hand. The two had actually taken several photos together. Astra had asked for a copy but, Prompto always forgot to print them out for her. “I...I…” He finally looked at her. “...I’ll see you next week.”

Astra sensed he held something back but respected his choice. She smiled one last time and entered the car. Neither knew that’d be the last time they would hang out with each other until years later.

Chapter Text

Breakfast was both Noctis’ and Astra’s respective favorite. They both slept in, and their breakfast was more like their lunch. Because it was their birthday, the entire day was free for them. Except for the hours they had to spend thanking nobles and politicians for their birthday gifts. Two seats were brought out and placed next to King Regis’ throne where both Noctis and Astra sat next to their father. Fortunately for them, they didn’t have to do much aside from say “Greetings” and “Thank you” with a bow. Noctis kept his eyes shut for most of the ceremony; luckily for him, it wasn’t visible from where the nobles and politicians stood.

Dinner was served at the regular time mainly because it was the only time King Regis was available, and both Noctis and Astra wished to dine with him even if they were still full from their late breakfast. 

“I heard you placed first amongst your peers, Astra,” said King Regis between bites.

Astra could only nod because her mouth was full. Instead, Noctis answered for her. “That’s because she doesn’t have a life and only reads.”

“Loof hoo twuaking,” she shot back.

“Astra.” By simply saying her name, King Regis reminded Astra about her manners. 

“That’s sweet coming from you,” she told Noctis after swallowing her food. “You don’t even have any friends. I, at least, have one.”

“I have—”

“Ignis and Gladio don’t count. Dad pays them to be here.”

Noctis stared at her in disbelief as a small laugh escaped King Regis. He looked back and forth at both his children who made teasing faces at each other. He couldn’t help but smile at their childish ways that comforted his old heart. As children of royalty, their lives hadn’t been easy. Noctis was distant, and Astra was too mature for her age. But when they were together, they were just like any other pair of siblings at each other’s throats. Regrettably, the moment was cut short when an attendant approached King Regis to inform him that the Crystal was behaving unnaturally. Even though he didn’t want to, he had to leave, and that was the story of his life. 

When he looked back at his children, he found them already looking at him, and he knew they knew he needed to go. Noctis looked away with disappointment, and Astra gave him a small smile, attempting to hide her obvious disappointment. King Regis approached his children and kissed them both on their foreheads. “I will see you both later. Rest well.” With that said, King Regis left.

Neither of the children finished their food. They had been forcing themselves to eat after all. Besides, Astra didn’t feel too well. Probably something she ate. The siblings decided to end their day watching movies, but it didn’t take long for Noctis to fall asleep. Astra contemplated kicking him off the sofa to wake him, but she was feeling nice. Instead, she asked a servant to carry him to his room; Noctis slept soundly all the way. She also decided to head off to bed early, hoping to get some decent sleep. She should have known better.

She tossed and turned for hours. The desire for sleep haunted her, but the action itself escaped her. Flashing images appeared in her head, causing her mental and physical pain. She saw the Royal Arms  surround her as if to shield her. She saw the kings of past surround the Lucis throne, each aiming their weapon at the throne. Next, the Crystal appeared and upon further inspection, she saw herself resting inside. Each image only appeared for a moment. But then she found herself in the throne room. The room was on fire, and at the center of it all was Noctis and the Crystal. 

“Prove your worth,” a voice echoed throughout the room.

Astra looked around but found no one. The only two people there were Noctis and Astra, but Noctis was unconscious. She jumped through the flames to the best of her abilities and managed to get to Noctis. She placed his arm over her shoulder and lifted him up. He was heavier than she remembered. Then, she saw the Crystal— the object that provided her family their magic which had protected Lucis for centuries and would do so for many more. Astra could haul it to safety using the same magic provided by the Crystal, but to do so, she’d need to leave Noctis. And that was never an option. Without looking back, Astra carried her brother safely out the Citadel. As soon as she took a step outside, the Noctis in her arms disappeared. Her dream darkened and the scenery collapsed. Only she remained surrounded by the darkness.

“Your worth has been weighed. We shall grant you our light,” said the bodiless voice.

 The last image Astra saw was the Royal Arms surrounding her once again, but this time they aimed their blades at her and swung to strike. She sat up and screamed out in pain, falling out of her bed. Noctis was already in her room with a servant. Both had faces of fear and worry, but they remained still and watched small weapons of light disappear and embed themselves  into Astra’s body as she gasped from the pain. Noctis rushed to her on the ground and held on tightly to her hand.

Astra wasn’t yelling anymore by the time the weapons of light disappeared. Panting, she was beside her bed on her knees, clutching onto the clothes on her chest. She held onto Noctis as he helped her stand up. He handled her as if she were to shatter with any rough movement. He helped her towards her bed, but she pushed past him and staggered out of her room. Noctis and the servant followed her. She could barely stand properly and supported herself on the wall. Noctis rushed to his sister again, reaching out to her again, but he was  shocked by lightning the moment he touched her. The servant reached for Noctis; he had burned his hand. Brushing off the servant, Noctis followed after his sister, but a bigger and heavier hand held him back. He turned around, ready to yell at whoever held him, but then noticed it was his father, King Regis. 

“Take him to get treated,” said King Regis to the servant.

“I’m not leaving Astra!”

“Please, listen to me, Noctis.” King Regis leveled himself to his son’s eye level. “Go.”

The servant took Noctis away who looked back at his father the entire time. King Regis returned his attention to his daughter. Despite not being in sight, he already knew where she’d be. He took the same path he took many times and found himself at his destination: the Crystal. Astra had gotten past the door and stood still before the Crystal. The King was alone, but he did his best to remain calm even if he was losing his mind on the inside. He needed to be strong for his daughter.

“Astra.” He called out to her.

She turned around, still recognizing her name. But her eyes were dull and seemed to look past and not at her father. King Regis reached out his hand and slowly approached his daughter, “Come, my child.”

Astra looked at his hand and silently cried without changing her expression. She raised her own hand and looked at it.

“Take my hand,” pleaded the King. “Please.”

After looking one last time at her father, Astra turned back around to face the Crystal. King Regis threw his calm demeanor out the window.

“Astra, no!”

But it was too late. The moment Astra touched the Crystal the room flashed white. A gush of magical power flowed out the Crystal, and King Regis saw as his daughter’s body absorbed it. King Regis slowly pushed past the pressure.

“I don’t care about the past.” He yelled. “She’s my daughter!”
King Regis managed to push past all the way and caught Astra as she collapsed from exhaustion. Everything around them returned to normal, but he could see his daughter’s veins glow a light purple. He brushed the hair away from her face and wept.

“Not my daughter, too,” he cried. “Not both my children.”

After composing himself, King Regis carried his daughter out the Crystal Chambers. There were guards and servants waiting outside. None dared attempt take his daughter away when they saw how desperately he held her. He carried her to her room in silence. A doctor already awaited her in her room, and she was attended immediately. Astra didn't open her eyes until several days later. King Regis visited her room daily whenever he could, and every time, he found his son next to Astra's side. Noctis spent every day at her side, missing a few days of classes with his father's permission. He even read her favorite book to her in hopes she'd magically wake up to tell him about all the obscure facts about the book, but she remained still in her bed. 

Tensions between Niflheim and Lucis continued to rise as the empire continued atracking the cities outside of Insomnia. Refugess continued to pour in, and Insomnia began to face the crisis of overpopulation. Nobles and politicians actively voice their wishes to officially reject any more refugees, but King Regis could not bring himself to make such a decision that would effectively mean he'd abandon the rest of his people. But as more time passed, less and less alternatives appeared. He hadn't been able to visit Astra all day after spending the entire day in meetings. Walking into her room, King Regis found Noctis sitting beside Astra's bed, resting his head on her bed as he held her hand. He carried his son to his bed and returned to his daughter's side. The moment he entered he felt his heart drop to his stomach. 

Astra stood outside on her balcony. The wind blew into the room, curling the windows like smoke that attempted to hide her presence. She was still dressed in her pajamas and stood barefoot on the cold marble floor. Even inside, King Regis could see the stars that Astra so loved. They shined brighter than usual, casting their light onto Astra so she too could shine like them. And she did. She always did in King Regis' eyes. Sensing his presence, Astra turned to her father. Her eyes were red, but she didn't meet his eyes. Instead, they lingered at his feet.

"Astra." Just by saying her name, King Regis saw her stiffen and curl her hands into fists at her side.

She slowly raised her eyes to meet her father's as she bit the inside of her lip, a nervous habit. But her father's eyes didn't change. They still held that kind warmth that let her know she was safe and home. She felt a knot form in her throat. Still standing apart, the two communicated solely through their eyes. And they both knew, and it tore King Regis apart knowing that his daughter was now destined to carry the burden he had been shouldering for so long and that she would continue to carry it long past his days into the future.

He fell to his knees and held his arms open. Without hesitation, Astra ran to her father. They both held onto each other as if it were the last time they would and cried. They cried for the past-- for the future-- for themselves-- for Noctis.

Astra awoke the following day half-expecting to find her father at her side. But he was king, and kings have other responsibilities. She looked at herself in the mirror and saw puffy, red eyes and bags that matched them. Her head hurt too, probably from all the crying last night. She layed back on her bed and stared at her ceiling. Her mother had decorated her room before Astra's birth, just as she'd done for Noctis. Their ceilings were actually a matching pair: an obsidian night sky with crystal stars that trickled down like falling stars. When the sun hit the crystals, they would cast colorful shadows all throughout their rooms.

The bedroom doors of Astra's room swung open. She could hear a servant argue with whoever was at the door, but it didn't require much guessing. There was only one person in the entire Citadel with such disregard for manners and customs when it concerned Astra.

"You overslept," said Noctis.

The doors closed behind him. He sat next to her and joined her in laying down. The two continued staring at the ceiling and the colorful shadows the crystals cast in silence without any awkwardness. Noctis was never one to show his true emotions to Astra, but she could always read him like an open book. He was her little brother, after all, and whether he knew it or not, he wore his heart on his sleeve. She looked over at Noctis who kept looking up. Avoiding her gaze, he took a deep breath to relieve some of his stress. Astra smiled as she returned to look at the ceiling. The future she knew would still not come to pass. Her brother was still at her side and so was her father. That was more than enough.

Astra had breakfast in her bed. Doctor's orders were rest and even more rest. Otherwise, Astra was in peak condition; the part of her that always felt empty was filled with the magic given by the Crystal. Noctis, the ever-so-kind brother of hers, delivered to her the homework she missed along with the "Get Well Soon" gifts from the self-interested people from her classes. She threw it all away. She had a goal she had to reach, and she knew she'd have to drastically change her life to achieve it. Even if it meant suffering a little now. To Astra, it was worth it for the hope of something better. 

"You've received several missed calls from a friend of yours while you were ill," said a servant to Astra as she burned the papers Noctis had delivered.

"Friend's call?" Astra asked. Immediately, she knew the answer to her own question.

Astra had a home phone in the corner of her room where her mini-office was. She went through the voicemail; three messages were left for her.

"Hi, uh, this is me. Prompto! It's me, Prompto," he rushed his words. Astra could imagine his nervousness; after all, that was the first time he ever called her. "Uh, well, I just wanted to check in with you...I don't know. I just had a feeling like you were in trouble."

The message was left the day after her birthday, mere hours after her nightmare accident.

"Anyways, I hope you enjoyed your birthday. I'll see you at school tomorrow." The first message ended.

"Hey, I noticed you couldn't make it. Which is okay! I just never heard back from you, and it kinda kept me wondering." Prompto's voice was filled with genuine worry. "Just, at least, check in with me. Please."

The next message was similar to the second one. Just with different words. Prompto was worried about Astra's disappearance. It was as she was listening to the third and last message that a call came in. It was Prompto. Maybe it was out of instinct or some sort of necessity, but Astra didn't even let the phone ring twice before she answered.

"Hello?" Prompto's voice came through.

Astra instantly felt herself feel at ease. The tension that had been choking her all day had disappeared with the sound of his voice.

"Hello, Prompto," she answered.

A small gasp slipped out of Prompto; he hadn't really expected Astra to answer her own phone. "Are you okay?"

"I was just a little sick."

"But you're better now?"

"Mhm."

Prompto sighed loudly out of relief. Astra didn't know this, but Prompto had actually tried leaving over ten voicemail messages, but fear got the best of him each time. He would sit by the phone for what felt like hours as he fidgeted with a small deep purple box adorned with a bow. There was a small note hung from the bow reading " Happy Birthday ." Prompto hand wrote it after practicing his calligraphy. "You really had me scared. I thought something had happened. When you didn't answer, I…"

Prompto trailed off, but Astra couldn't pay much attention. Her ears began to ring; the higher it got, the more it made her head hurt. She leaned over her chair, holding onto her head out of pain while still holding the phone with the other. She saw the images from her nightmare again. Well, the memories. "Prove your worth," she heard a voice say in her head.

"Astra!" Prompto’s voice pulled her out of the pain and memories.

Astra caught up to her breath, "Yeah?"

"Are you sure you're okay?" Prompto asked once again.

Astra shook her head and held the phone as far as she could. She calmed herself by mimicking her father's calm demeanor and put the phone back to her ear. "Prompto."

She took a moment to contemplate if she really wanted to go through with it. But she had to.

"I'm not going back to school," she said coldly.

She could sense Prompto thinking over the phone. "What do you mean?" He asked.

"My goal. To reach it, I have to leave some things behind." They both knew what the conversation was leading to. "That means school. Libraries. Jogging. And…"

"Me," finished Prompto. But he didn't ask. Instead, he stated it as a fact, and that's probably because a part of him always saw this coming. But deep down, he hoped and prayed that the world somehow loved him and wanted him to be happy.

"I don't have much time left, and I have a lot of work I need to do. I need to cut down on anything that isn't--"

"I think I get it.” Prompto didn’t let her finish. He couldn’t bear it. “It’s okay.”

Astra drew in another deep breath; this one hit deeper than before. "I am thankful for the company and friendship you've given me...But, I'm afraid this is where we part ways." Her nails dug into her palm. "Thank you, and goodbye. I pray you reach your goal."

Astra immediately hung up and didn't even allow Prompto to say goodbye. Her own farewell felt rushed and unfulfilling but she wouldn't have been able to keep the act up any longer. She spent several minutes still holding the phone, trying to convince herself that what she did was the right thing. That this path she had to walk alone. Without Noctis. Without Prompto. And one day, without her father. This was her cross to carry, her duty and her destiny.  

Chapter Text

Astra could feel the sun’s warmth on her eyelids. Ignis was driving her down to the city for a speech she had to present at an academy. Ever since her fateful meeting with the Crystal two years ago, Astra has dedicated herself to her studies and duties as princess. With just another year, she’ll have officially finished her primary studies; she has no intent to do any secondary studies as her duties as princess grant her such things. In just the two years she had been granted the Crystal’s full power, Astra had mastered control over her abilities to the point she was considered a prodigy. It felt natural as if were something she always had which reminded her everytime that she didn’t; even after the two years, neither her or her father could determine the reason as to why she wasn’t born with the magic of the Crystal like all other royals of Lucis. But, at this point, the reason why didn’t matter. With her newfound strength, she had the power to reach her goal. She was even granted a seat amongst the Royal Council; albeit, there is no official position she holds apart from princess. At least, not yet.

“We are here,” said Ignis, holding Astra’s door open. He extended his hand and helped Astra out the car like a true gentleman. Ignis had grown even more confident in his role as advisor in the past two years. Astra could never find any fault in his work, and instead, he would help her with her own. 

Upon exiting the car, she felt the breeze of a dying summer day. The trees moved in harmony and grace. They were at the academy’s gates. Truthfully, Astra didn’t know much about the academy apart from the fact it was renowned for their alumni and curriculum. Despite its intense academics, she found the academy to produce a calm and welcoming atmosphere. “You’re not coming?” She asked, fixing a few loose strands of her own hair. “I’m sure he’d be happy to see you. Even if he doesn’t say it.”

Ignis readjusted his glasses. “I will park the car and then join you.” Astra nodded, and then Ignis left. Walking into the academy grounds, Astra saw several students walking around. They were all being rushed to the auditorium, but of course, several took it as an opportunity to chat and explore their academy. It didn’t take long for their eyes to be drawn to her and the whispers to begin. She wondered if maybe they were thinking about her the same way she thought about Ignis. On the outside, she certainly seemed calm and confident. Astra took her time admiring the scenery. It was almost autumn. Astra loved the small time of summer transitioning to autumn. She heard rapid and consistent footsteps approaching, and so she turned to see. A middle-aged man who clearly wore a toupee approached her. He was panting and sweating, and obviously the academy’s director.

“You’re here early, Your Highness,” said the man as he took out his handkerchief to wipe his sweat away.

“Is that a problem?” asked Astra.

“No! No. Of course not.” The director shook his head violently. “Here, allow me to be your humble guide.”

Astra had instant flashbacks to her teachers two years ago. She held back a chuckle and nodded instead. Astra had arrived early, and so the director took this time to introduce some of the school’s facilities. She saw the labs, classrooms, nurse’s office, library and even the bathrooms. Eventually, she was led to the place she had been wanting to be at the entire time: the auditorium. She found Ignis behind the curtains of the auditorium’s stage; he approached her as soon as he saw her. “You took your time,” he said once the director had left the two.

“The director wanted to be very thorough ,” she said. “I even saw the bathrooms.”

Ignis slightly smiled. The two stood out of sight, beside the stage. The director was introducing her, and then Ignis nudged her forward. “They’ve been waiting for you for a while now. Best not to keep them waiting.” 

Astra walked up to the stage and entered the crowd’s view. At the pulpit, she could see hundreds of students in their seats. Small gasps and whispers erupted at the sight of her presence. She knew they were questioning why she, the princess of Lucis, would be delivering a speech at an academy that she was meant to have attended had she continued her anterior path. For Astra, it was about making her presence known which clearly was working. But in their eyes, she probably appeared to be a princess carrying for her kingdom’s youth. Which technically also isn’t wrong.

“Greetings, fellow students,” she said with a slight bow. When trying to form a sense of kinship, Astra learned it was important to use plural pronouns. She had to include herself in the group with her own words to be considered a part of the group. And she wasn’t lying. She was still a student. “I am Princess Astra Lucis Caelum, and I thank you for coming today. Although, I’m sure you didn’t have much of a choice.” A small joke to break the tension.

“Today marks a new beginning for all of you. Some are ready to end this chapter of your life, while others have just made friendships that will last a lifetime. However, what matters most isn’t what kind of beginning you have, but what you do with it.” Astra began to strategically pace around the stage, looking for someone. “In the fairy tales we read as children, it wasn’t the beginning of our hero’s journey that defined him but the journey itself. In my short life, I have met great men and women whose beginnings were less fortunate than mine, and yet they now sit amongst the highest ranking officials in our kingdom, advising our king.”

“And I don’t wish to inspire you to start right, although it is in your best interest; I’ve had enough beginnings to know how hard that is which is why I rather inspire you to never give up and to never give in. Life will be unfair, and our circumstances possibly torturous. But we must gather our strengths and push forward. And yes, we will fall. But with our capacity to fall, we find the strength to rise.” Despite the countless eyes on Astra, she could feel a heavy gaze on her. She followed the feeling and found a boy with black hair staring at her. She couldn’t tell if he was happy to see her or just surprised, but she smiled at him anyway. “It’s fine if when you look back on this day, you don’t remember me. But I hope you remember this message and carry it with you. We are more than our circumstances. We are our choices.”

Astra received a standing ovation for a speech she wrote on the ride there. But she paid her respects and bowed to the students before walking off the stage. Smiling, Ignis was already waiting for her with a bottle of water and a pill. “You did wonderful.” Astra took the water and pills with trembling hands.

“I feel like throwing up.” She swallowed the pill with water and then handed the bottle back to Ignis. She felt a small tingling sensation on the back of her neck. She turned around, and for a split second, she thought she saw a familiar young girl. But with a blink of her eyes, the image was gone. Ignis stared at her inquisitively. “It’s nothing,” she said.

Ignis always cared for both Astra and Noctis. Despite being designated as Noctis’ future advisor, Ignis was always around to help Astra. It was probably hard juggling two kids at the same time, but Astra was thankful. If she had an older brother, Ignis would properly fill the role. Ignis saw someone approaching Astra from her backside and placed himself between the two. Astra turned to look and peeked over Ignis' shoulder to see the director of the academy. “What a delightful speech, Your Highness! You have inspired even me,” he said without even noticing the disrespect he uttered.

“I’m glad my message was effectively delivered,” said Astra, stepping out of Ignis’ shadow.

“I hope our humble academy was able to impress you.”

Even more disrespect. Astra could see where his words were leading. 

“It is a pity however that we will be cutting down on many of our luxuries this year due to budget cuts,” the director added.

There it was. He wanted money. Astra wanted to laugh in his face but Ignis’ constant stare warned her not to. The budget cuts were because of the kingdom’s never-ending war with Niflheim; it had begun taking a toll on their beloved Insomnia’s economy. 

“You forget, Director. Luxuries are not necessities and can be lived without,” she said with a sharp smile. In other words, she said, You’re rich. You don’t need the money. Astra had learned how to talk just like the conniving adults did in high society. The director received the message, but Astra wasn’t done.

“Besides, this academy isn’t a humble one. It’s renowned for its alumni and curriculum, even befitting a prince which you have as a student this year.” Astra continued. “Unless, you mean to imply that this academy is not worthy enough to serve the prince of Lucis. If so, we might as well provide him a private education truly befitting him. Wouldn’t you agree, Ignis?”

Ignis nodded in agreement; he was always there to back her up in moments like these. The director shook his head and waved his hands. 

“No! I mean, no, Your Highness.” The director composed himself. “How could I ever claim my institution to be worthy of someone as the prince. But I believe the academy has the ability to produce and provide the prince all he deserves.”

The director had definitely practiced that answer before. Probably with some other noble’s kid. Truthfully, the director didn’t want Noctis in the academy; he was afraid Noctis’ presence would bring unwarranted attention that would expose his illegal behaviour. The only reason he was happy about Noctis attending was the donations that came in for simply hosting a prince; that meant more money for the director. But Astra already knew about the director’s crimes and was already working on a plan to arrest him. Still, Astra was tempted to crush his egotistic confidence. Alas, she had other things to do. 

“I hope you live up to my expectations, Director. For your sake.” With that, Astra turned around and left the auditorium. Ignis had gone his own way so he could bring the car around to the front gate. There, Astra waited for him. The orientation assembly was the last thing on the student's schedule; although it typically takes place first thing in the morning, it was the last thing because that was when Astra was available. And so, students freely roamed the academy’s grounds. Some left to go home. Others stayed behind for other activities. But many simply dawdled around Astra.

They didn’t approach her but formed small cliques to talk amongst themselves while staring. Astra hated it, but she had fortunately taken her medicine and remained calm. Eventually, a voice called out to her. “A head’s up would’ve been nice,” said a man’s voice behind her. 

“Why should I tell you what I do with my life?” asked Astra with a teasing tone, turning around to look. Her younger brother was now slightly taller than her. His face had lost its youthful charm. “Cute uniform.”

“If you want, I can get you one.”

“Ha-ha.” Astra sounded out a laugh. “Just because we’re twins doesn’t mean I want to match with you. Besides, imagine what people would say when I end up looking better in it than you. I’d rather save you from such embarrassment.”

Noctis couldn’t help but smile. “I see you’ve grown proficient in the art of talk.”

“Thanks to high society, I’m a master at it, even rivaling our own teacher, Ignis.”

The two shared a small laugh. They hadn’t seen each other in days. That was normal now. Astra was always busy with something, and so she could no longer spend time with her brother. Now, he was in his first year at the academy, meanwhile she had begun to govern certain affairs assigned to her by her father and the Royal Council. Despite their distance, the two would still treat each other normally and joke just as they did when they were younger.

Behind Noctis was a blonde boy Astra hadn’t seen in years. He, too, was taller. And thinner. But he still had the freckles sprinkled across his face that she would spend time counting because they reminded her of stars. He looked at her like she was a ghost. Maybe she was. Noctis pulled him from out behind him and said “You’re not gonna introduce yourself? It’d be rude not to when she’s a princess.” Astra rolled her eyes at his remark. But the blonde boy kept staring at her with his familiar blue eyes.

“N-Nice to meet you.” He stuttered over his words and gave her a deep bow. “My name is—”

“I know who you are.” Astra interrupted him. “ And stop the bowing. I hate the bowing. I’m sure I told you that before.” The boy raised his head with wide eyes. Noctis pulled him back up to an upright standing position. She could tell that he was shocked. Noctis not so much; he probably also recognized the boy just as Astra did at first glance.

“You do?” asked the boy.

Astra laughed out of disbelief. “All you did was lose some weight, not change your face, Prompto.” At the sound of his name, Prompto smiled. It was a melancholic smile Astra could recognize as she herself found herself smiling that way. “It’s good to see you.”

“Good to see who?” asked another voice out of nowhere.

The three turned to see Ignis with the car parked behind him. “Oh, Ignis. This is Prompto,” said Astra, motioning to Ignis who was now beside her. “The two of you have never been properly introduced.”

“Pleasure to meet you.” Ignis shook Prompto’s hand.

“Yeah, nice to meet ya!”

Ignis turned back to Astra, “We’d best be on our way if you want to stick to schedule.” Ignis spoke quietly so only she could hear. Astra turned to look at Noctis and Prompto.

“Where am I supposed to be next?” she asked. Ignis raised a folder with her schedule. The two discussed possible alternatives and changes that could be made, creating their own world and leaving both Noctis and Prompto alone. Prompto looked at Noctis who appeared unfazed.

“They do this all the time,” said Noctis with a sigh.

Once finishing the conversation, Astra and Ignis turned to look at the two. With a smile, Astra asked the two, “Who’s hungry?” And almost on queue, Prompto’s stomach loudly grumbled.

Chapter Text

“This is so good!” Prompto was practically drooling before the food.

The four had arrived at a restaurant none of them had ever gone to, but Ignis assured them the food was worth it.

“You’ve barely even eaten,” said Astra after taking a bite.

“I don’t know how many calories this has, and I have to be careful if I want to stay in shape,” said Prompto sadly, staring at Noctis’ plate of food. Ignis handed the two the menu that held all the food’s information. Astra scooted a little closer to Prompto since the two were next to each other and shared the menu. Prompto’s eyes widened when he looked at the details of his dish. “Oh, boy. All those calories for so little food.”

Astra took the menu from Prompto and shared his look of disbelief. “Don’t tell Gladio we ate out,” she told Ignis. “He’ll beat the food out of me for ignoring his diet.” Ignis didn’t respond and simply wiped his mouth with his napkin.

“Woah, Gladio is calling me,” said Noctis holding up his phone. Astra glared at him.

“Not funny.”

“I’m not lying.” Noctis turned his phone to the table, and everyone leaned forward to make sure their eyes weren’t lying to them.

“Don’t tell him where we’re at. You know it won’t be just me getting thrown under the bus,” said Astra while Noctis gave her an innocently inquisitive look. “I know you’ve been skipping out on your practice.

“I’m surprised you haven’t ratted me out to dad.”

“I’m not your mother, Noctis. Just an occasionally overbearing big sister.”
“You might want to answer soon,” said Ignis.

Noctis stood up and walked away to answer the phone in private. Astra sighed and also stood up, “I’m going to the ladies' room.” She lied. She went straight to the restaurant’s front desk and pulled out her wallet. 

“You still use the same lie,” said a familiar cheerful voice behind Astra.

“Ignis would have stopped me had I said I was going to pay, but I’m the one who invited everyone. So, it’s on me.” Astra handed her card over to the cashier who began doing her work. Prompto and Astra stood in uncomfortable silence for a moment. “You weren’t gonna use the bathroom?”

“Oh, me?” Prompto asked, obviously panicking. “No, I— uh. Toothpick!” Prompto took a toothpick offered at the front desk. Even the cashier who was handing back Astra her card looked at him oddly. Prompto sighed, “I needed a toothpick.”

“Okay…” Astra walked back to the table with Prompto close behind her. She sat down back in her seat and so did Prompto except he did so awkwardly, avoiding eye-contact with Ignis.

“Back so soon from the restroom?” asked Ignis not to Astra, but to Prompto. Prompto glanced at Astra with embarrassment.

“Yeah, I just needed to wash my hands,” replied Prompto. Astra found herself hiding a smile. She composed herself when Noctis arrived. 

“How’d it go?” Astra asked, already knowing the answer.

“Oh, you know. The usual. Where have you been, you’re slacking off, get it together, and several other inspirational messages,” Noctis said as he sat down. “I haven’t even finished looking at the documents Ignis gave me last time.”

“About that, I have the report you gave me. I added the necessary corrections.”

“You’re making your sister do your school work? Not cool, bro,” said Prompto.

“No, this report is a little more official. Part of the deal he made with my father.” Astra answered, and Noctis rolled his eyes like a typical 15-year old boy. “I can give it to you today before Ignis drops you off at your place. I have it at my place.”

“We’re going all the way to the Citadel?” Prompto did not appear to be a big fan of visiting the Citadel so suddenly. He began fixing his posture and clothes out of worry.

Ignis shook his hand and answered, “No, like Noctis, Astra has an apartment in the city—”

“And three offices.”

“And three offices,” Ignis glared at Astra. “Her responsibilities often require her presence here in the city and in the Citadel, so King Regis acquired for her an apartment for whenever she couldn’t make it all the way back to the Citadel.”

“And he doesn’t even visit,” added Astra, looking at her brother.

“As if you’re ever there," shot back Noctis.

“True.” Astra looked down, almost ashamed. “All work, no play. I practically only sleep there.”

There was silence. Maybe it was the food coma. 

Ignis clapped once to gather their attention, “Alright, go wait outside. They should bring the car out.” He took a wallet out of the inside of his suit coat. “Meanwhile, I’ll pay.”

Astra and Prompto shared a small smile with each other. The three walked out of the restaurant, and the car was already waiting for them. Astra could see a small mischievous spark ignite behind Noctis’ eyes. He reached for the keys held by the valet, but another hand came in before Noctis and took the keys himself. “Someone had already paid,” said Ignis, looking directly at Astra.

“Oh, what a surprise,” replied Astra in a monotone voice.

Ignis opened the back door and mockingly bowed. Astra entered first, then Noctis, then Prompto. Maybe it was because Astra is used to riding by herself, but she felt it was cramped. Or maybe it was because she only then properly realized just how much Noctis had grown when he sat next to her. The drive was quiet. No one spoke a word. Definitely the food coma. 

Astra always liked looking at the people on the street simply living their lives as she drove by. It was easy to forget the importance of each individual when you’re sitting at the top. Astra learned this through her own experiences. So, she often took small breaks to just watch people to remind herself the importance of her role as princess. Her failure and success were more than her own. Gradually, the scenery changed to something more familiar. Before she knew, Astra had arrived at her apartment. 

Astra opened the door for herself and stepped out. “I’ll bring it out to you, so just give me a minute.”

She left and entered the apartment building. There were two Glaives, soldiers dedicated to protecting the crown, stationed on the ground floor for security reasons. They saluted her with smiles.

“Afternoon, Archie. Marsh,” she greeted them by name.

She entered the  elevator and was about to press her floor’s button when she heard Archie and Marsh speak, but it wasn’t to her. She peered out the elevator and saw the two Glaives blocking Prompto’s path. They made eye contact, and he smiled. “Astra,” he called out to her.

“It’s Princess Astra!” Archie corrected him.

“It’s alright. He’s a friend,” yelled out Astra. The two Glaives reluctantly let Prompto go. He walked hurriedly to her in the elevator.

“Noctis sent me to get the report,” said Prompto.

“I said I’d send it out,” she answered.

“I don’t know. There was a dog.”

Astra then understood. She pressed her floor’s button, and the doors closed shortly after. “Was it black?” 

Prompto looked at her with surprise. “How did you know?”

“Then he just wanted to be alone.” Astra smiled with melancholy. “Even I wasn’t allowed to see what he wrote in the book.”

The ride on the elevator was quiet once again. For Astra, it was unintentional. She was thinking about the list of things she had to get done before the day was over. Unbeknownst to her, her silence intimidated Prompto who had been trying to start a conversation all throughout the car ride. When the elevator doors opened, there was one long hallway leading to a door with two more Glaives stationed proportionately away from each other, the elevator and apartment door. 

“Afternoon, Nate. Tay,” said Astra as she walked to the apartment door. Prompto followed closely behind her. She took out her keys which was really just a single key with a keychain; it was a small trinket her father bought her in Tenebrae. 

Prompto was expecting the apartment to have a pristine and expensive interior. Maybe there was even a butler inside, waiting to take her bag and coat. But, Prompto would be lying if he said he wasn’t surprised when he saw what her apartment truly looked like.

She had several books piled by the entrance. She slipped off her shoes at the entrance and put on her slippers. She took out a second pair from a small piece of furniture and placed it down so Prompto could do the same. Walking further in, Prompto saw that her dining table was covered with papers. There were even some on the floor around the table. Her kitchen was different. Almost untouched. Prompto ran his finger across the counter and stared at the dirt on his fingertip. Definitely untouched. Her apartment could be mistaken for an unorganized library that had no system of organization.

“Yeah, by office, I mean the dining room. I’ve never stayed here long enough for me to properly set up an office,” said Astra as she watched Prompto look around the room in amazement. At her room’s door, she turned to Prompto. “Don’t touch any of the papers. I know where everything is. And don’t look into my room.”

She opened the room just enough for her to slip in, leaving Prompt alone in her mess. He looked out her apartment’s window. Prompto had been to Noctis’ place before and noticed Astra’s apartment was almost identical to his. Underneath all the papers, of course. He went back to her kitchen and opened her cabinets. They had barely any pans and pots. He checked her fridge. She only had water and a cart of eggs. He held up the cart and shook it; it was empty. Astra closed the door behind her and joined Prompto at the fridge. 

“You’re out of eggs,” said Prompto. “And everything else.”

“Yeah. Ignis usually picks up groceries if I ever need them.” Astra took the empty cart of eggs and threw it away in the trash.

“He...comes here often?” Prompto asked “nonchalantly.”

Astra noticed Prompto’s intentions and scoffed. “Despite being Noctis’ right hand man, he’s more like mine than his."

Prompto blinked curiously, "Yours?"

"Here's the report," said Astra, hitting Prompto's chest with the report. He took the papers and skimmed through the pages, clearly not reading it.

"It's thick."

"He was behind on some work."

"And that?" Prompto pointed at the mess in the dining room.

Astra sighed at the mere sight of it. "I just finished reviewing them, and now I have to organize the papers in chronological order which shouldn't be hard, but there’s over a hundred pages that I have to organize," said Astra. "Ignis offered to do it for me, but it would take him longer since he doesn’t know the order I have going on.”

Prompto didn’t look at the papers as Astra spoke. Instead, his eyes remained on her. He saw how the shadows seemed fond of her and how they stretched underneath her eyes. Maybe it was because she forgot to turn on the lights because she was internally panicking, having Prompto there. In the comfort of her home, her shoulders appeared relaxed but weary. And her eyes were dark and tired. Prompto hadn’t noticed that before. He had changed externally, but her change was internal and far more drastic than he could fathom.

She turned to look at him with a smile. Prompto noticed she was always smiling at him, and now he knew why. He didn’t know what kind of face he was making, but Astra tilted her head and patted his head. “We all make sacrifices. Besides,” She stopped. “I can take it.”

There was so much he wanted to say, but Prompto couldn’t get anything out. Instead, he said his goodbye’s and left Astra’s apartment. He couldn’t feel the Glaives’ stares anymore. Accompanied by his own silence and thoughts, he entered the car where Ignis and Noctis were already waiting for him. The two were having their own conversation. Quietly, Prompto handed the report to Noctis who paid him no mind and continued arguing with Ignis.

Ignis dropped Noctis off first since his apartment was not too far from Astra’s. Probably on purpose. The ride back to Prompto’s own home was longer and quieter than he could bear. He had tried to convince Ignis to drop him off near a bus stop, but Ignis replied with “Astra told me you’d say that. And she told me to ignore you and take you straight home.” She was always one step ahead. Prompto wondered just how big of a picture was Astra seeing. Better yet, what was she seeing that made her work so tirelessly and desperately at such a young age? A part of himself wished she had never discovered whatever she was looking for so ardently all those years ago. He was convinced it wasn’t an aspiration or a goal; it was a curse. 

“Ignis?” Prompto called out. The entire ride he had been building up the courage to speak up. It wasn’t until he had left the car, now outside his home, that he decided to talk. “Does she usually have that much work?” There was only one person he could be talking about.

“Regrettably, yes,” replied Ignis through his rolled down window.

“I mean, she didn’t have any food in her fridge.”

“And, I’ve been too busy as of late,” muttered Ignis to himself. Ignis held his chin, a sign of him thinking up a solution. With a certain realization, he looked up at Prompto. “Do you want to help?”

Prompto didn’t know what exactly Ignis had planned for him. Whatever it was, he hoped he didn’t have to write any essays. He hated writing. But what Ignis told him was far easier. The following day, Prompto went shopping immediately after school then headed to his destination: Astra’s apartment. Ignis told him she wouldn’t be there for some time but to finish as soon as possible. First thing first, he put away the groceries and snacks he bought, properly organizing them. After moving from the kitchen, he went to the living and dining room which were both now covered with papers.

He hovered over the papers, skimming through their contents without touching them. It didn’t take long for him to find the chronological pattern Astra had spread across the rooms. Just by looking at all the papers, he felt overwhelmed and wondered how Astra could live her life looking at papers such as those on the daily. With focus, Prompto began to carefully set all the papers in chronological order. Ignis assured Prompto that he’d take responsibility if any mistakes were made with the work, but Prompto had no intention of messing up. And even if he did, he was the type to own up to his mistakes, although the idea of Astra being mad at him did scare him. Astra’s work was detailed as she had set the corresponding years at the top of most papers; there were a few missing it but Prompto was able to figure out where each paper belonged.

Just like that, several hours went by, and it was night. Even though it was only for a short while, Prompto was spent. He understood why Astra had been postponing organizing all the papers. The papers sat neatly on the dining room table in a singular stack with several neon sticky notes sticking out of the stack. He looked around at the dining room and living room and took in the satisfaction of his hard work. He collected his things and went to the fridge for a bottle of water. As he reached for the bottle, he looked at all the groceries he brought. He took a look at his watch and left the water bottle alone. Instead, he took out several ingredients and put on an apron.

Astra was practically dragging herself into her apartment. She hated living there more than the Citadel. It was always so dark which was ironic when the entire Citadel’s aesthetic is black and yet she found that more comforting. She didn’t mind how small the apartment was when compared to her place in the Citadel, but she found herself almost crammed into it. The mess of papers she had scattered across the entire place didn’t help. It couldn’t even be considered an apartment. It was all one big office with a bed and kitchen amenities she had never even used.

She dragged herself to her room which was also a mess but not as bad as the rest of her place. She had clothes scattered on the floor, along with pairs of shoes. This time, she didn’t even bother changing. She let her body hit her bed and let herself drift off into sleep. But her stomach grumbled. She tried ignoring it but it only made things worse. Angry, she stomped out her room. She had no food, but it seemed her stomach was not aware of it. It’d have to satisfy itself with a glass of juice.

She opened the fridge and squinted her eyes as they got used to the blinding light. For a moment, she thought that her hunger had caused her to imagine it, but she reached out to grab it. She had food in her fridge. Most people would probably freak out, but this wasn’t the first time Astra had gone through that. She took out some unfamiliar tupperware filled with food. After placing down the tupper on her counter, she turned on the lights. There was a small note on each tupperware listing what each dish was, but it was unfamiliar writing. Wait, no. It wasn’t. She had just forgotten what his penmanship looked like.

From the corner of her eyes, Astra saw an unfamiliar interior. She looked up at her dining and living room and was almost surprised. The mess of papers was gone, and the apartment now felt bigger and breathable. She left the kitchen and went to the stack of papers on her dining table. She skimmed through it, realizing her first thoughts were right;they had been organized in chronological order. Beside the papers, there was a single note on it reading, “Take Care of Yourself.”

Chapter Text

"Yes, Your Highness. Despite their victory was assured," said Captain Drautos of the Kingsglaive.

Astra stood beside King Regis who sat on his throne. The Royal Council had convened due to a recent outcome the Kingsglaive had against the empire. Everyone in the room knew that the war would be ending soon. One way or another. 

“A sudden and inexplicable retreat,” thought King Regis out loud.

“We still remain at risk, nonetheless,” said Clarus Amicitia, King Regis’ childhood friend and Sworn Shield. He was the head of the Crownsguard before deciding to pass his duty on to Astra, but even then, he held a respectable standing in the Royal Council. He was also Gladio’s father. “We do not know when they will attack again.”

A Crownsguard guarding the throne room ran inside, “Your Majesty, we’ve received word from the West Gate. A man claiming to be an envoy from the empire requests an audience.”

Astra could see her father thinking it through, but she found that such an action was unnecessary. “I advise against it. This could be the risk we are worrying about,” whispered Astra, leaning over to her father. But, he paid her no mind.

“Bring him in.”

Astra knew better than to argue with him with so many eyes on them, and so she stood back in her position. It didn’t take long for the envoy to arrive. The Royal Council talked amongst themselves as they waited. But eventually, a voice was heard from outside the throne room. “The envoy from Nifleheim awaits you, Your Majesty.” 

King Regis raised his hand, signaling the two Crownsguard at the throne room’s  entrance to open the doors. A familiar face walked through the doors with a leery smile. King Regis’s body stiffened, and Astra readied her hand. “Good day to you,” said the envoy in a cheerful tone.

“Has Nifleheim grown so bold they’d send their own chancellor as an envoy?” asked King Regis to Ardyn Izunia, Nifleheim’s Chancellor. “And no guard at that.”

Contrasting the empire’s aesthetic, Ardyn wore dark, simple clothing. Had she not known beforehand who he was, Astra would think him an ordinary citizen from outside the Wall. Even from afar, she could tell his eyes were analyzing almost every corner of the room and every face. The way he carried himself made him feel mocking. Astra already hated him.

“It is an honor to be recognized by the great King Regis,” Ardyn looked at Astra. “And an even greater honor to meet the Lucis heir.”

Astra clenched her jaw. Everyone knew she wasn’t the heir; it was Noctis. Even the empire knew, meaning this man was just taunting her. “I’m afraid that honor is not mine to give, Chancellor ,” said Astra.

“Oh, yes. My apologies. I often forget that, considering all your achievements to your kingdom—”

“Chancellor,” interrupted King Regis.

“Yes, please permit me to stand on ceremony and introduce myself.” Ardyn smiled and bowed. “Ardyn Izunia, Chancellor of Niflheim. At your humble service.”

King Regis could see Astra’s state from the corner of his eyes. Their eyes met for a moment, and King Regis slowly nodded, asking his daughter to calm. Out of the two siblings, she was always the one who struggled with patience the most.

“I come to you today to offer terms of peace,” said Ardyn, slowly walking up the first section of stairs, far past what he was allowed. “I’m sure you’ve summarized that our recent maneuver was no strategic retreat. A gesture of goodwill.”

“You dropped a Diamond Weapon on already depleted and retreating forces,” pointed out Astra.

“Yes, and called off its last attack that would have annihilated the remainder of said forces. Out of good faith.” Astra’s controlled anger entertained him. “As you, we too wish to bring a swift end to this long and senseless war.”

“Is that so?” questioned King Regis.

“Yes, on one small condition. Well, two. Save Insomnia, all remaining territories will fall under Nifleheim’s rule. We didn’t want to deprive you of your kingdom’s crown jewel.”

King Regis was just about done with him, “And the second?”

“The Lucian princess is to wed the Chancellor of Niflheim.”

King Regis almost stood out of his throne. But some members of the Royal Council did so in his stead. A mixture of whispers and yells were heard all at once. But Astra herself remained still and didn't say a word.

“Oh, sorry. That was a lie. A joke, actually. Didn’t expect it to ruin the mood,” said Ardyn with a laugh.

King Regis curled his fists, “I am afraid we are not entertained, Chancellor.”

Astra stepped closer to her father, seeking comfort in his presence. She knew that what Ardyn had said was a lie, but the thought of it scared her nonetheless. Somehow, she already knew the true second condition Nifleheim had decided on. Ardyn smiled, “Our second trivial condition is to have the fetching young Prince Noctis of Lucis and the fair Princess Luna of Tenebrae be wed in holy matrimony.”

Maybe it was because compared to Ardyn’s earlier claim, the declaration of Nocti smarrying Luna didn’t send the room into panic. But, everyone remained tense. “You seem vexed,” said Ardyn. “I assure you, Your Majesty. Princess Lunafreya still holds Lucis and the royal family in the highest regard. Just as much as she did 12 years ago.”

This time, Astra felt it was her turn to calm her father. But all she could do was place a hand on his shoulder. King Regis remained silent, along with the rest of the council but everyone knew what would be the next course of action. Adryn was dismissed so the Lucis officials could convene and discuss the proposal. Some council members voted to refuse the treaty while others admitted favoring it. There were even some suggesting sending the head of Nifleheim’s chancellor back to the empire as a response to their so-called “peace treaty.”

“We cannot rely on the Kingsglaive alone. Truce may be our only remaining option,” voiced a council member.

“Those matters concern what’s outside the Great Wall. Here, we have no need for truce. Here, we still have the Wall,” argued another member.

“What lies beyond our Wall is still Lucian territory. Those are our people, Councilman,” said Astra.

“You are in favor of the truce, Princess?”

“That’s not what I am saying,” said Astra. “I am simply trying to explain that no matter what we choose there will be loss. It is important to realize what we are protecting to determine what we will be sacrificing.”

“I agree with the Princess. But also argue compromise is unwise as long as we know nothing of Nifleheim’s true intentions,” said Clarus. “We must not fool ourselves into thinking the Wall is impenetrable.”

“The Wall draws its power from the throne. I am able to sustain it for some more years if the kingdom requires it. But the Chancellor spoke one truth. If only one,” said King Regis. “We are old, and the Old Wall...I cannot command the Wall with a weakened hand and neither do I have the strength to muster an offensive against the empire.”

The room was silent. It was a true and inevitable truth that had been discussed only in whispers and in private amongst the council. But, several eyes lay on Astra, and one spoke, saying “Princess Astra may be able to in your stead, Your Majesty.” Both Clarus and King Regis turned to look at the council member with disdain. 

“Yes, Princess Astra has proven herself worthy both here and in the frontlines. If she were to take lead, I am sure we can turn the tide,” added another council member.

What they said was true. Astra was skilled and honed her abilities just in case such an occasion ever arose. But, her father refused to lay this burden upon her shoulders when she already had so much to bear. “That would not be our decision to make,” said Clarus.

“Prince Noctis is my heir and to him will I pass this throne. Princess Astra’s responsibilities lie elsewhere,” said King Regis with a stern tone, silencing the council members.

“Then let a decision be made, Your Majesty.”

       -------------------------------------------------------------------------------

“I don’t even know why I need this formal send-off,” said Noctis.

He walked down a hall of the Citadel with Astra at his side. Prompto, Ignis, and Gladio followed behind them. The twins were no longer children and had grown into fine, young adults. They had both grown into themselves and their personalities. Noctis had finished his studies some time ago, along with Prompto, around the same time the war against the Empire took a turn for the worse. Astra couldn’t have imagined that some time down the line Nifleheim would set Noctis’ marriage with Luna as a condition for peace. As if it could be considered that. 

Now, side by side, the twins no longer looked alike. Astra's hair had more grey streaks in it. She wore elegant clothes with fanciful details befitting a princess. If that didn’t give her away, her walk certainly did. Beside her, Noctis kept the same hair style from years ago and his jet black hair. His clothes were more casual, complimenting his personality. But even then, the air of a prince surrounded him. It seemed that the royal blood was thick in them both.

“Well, it’s for a very formal reason, wouldn’t you agree?” asked Astra. “It’s important for Dad.”

The five finally entered the throne room. King Regis sat at the top of the stairs in his throne. Two windows set on high allowed the sunlight to illuminate the room; Astra always thought it cast the illusion that the throne was glowing. Her father’s face was stern. He was in King Mode.

Noctis presented himself centered on a small platform before King Regis with Prompto, Ignis, and Gladio standing behind him. Astra walked past them and up the stairs. She stood at her father’s side just as she has always done since years ago. Noctis would often tease Astra about how alike she appeared to their father whenever she stood by his side. Astra could see the Royal Council sitting on the balcony on the side of the throne room. Several noblemen were also there, probably for publicity.

King Regis reviewed Noctis’ mission which was essentially just getting married in Altissia. Of course, her father worded it all in a much more fanciful way that would make poets envious. Even from where she stood, she could see Noctis daydreaming.

“The decreed hour is come,” said King Regis with a commanding tone. “Set forth with my blessing, Prince Noctis.”

Snapping out of his daze, Noctis bowed. “Thank you...Your Majesty.” He was never any good with formality.

“Take your leave, and go in the grace of the gods.”

Noctis slightly nodded his head, “Right.”

Astra contemplated the existence of the gods as she watched Noctis and his friends walk out the throne room. Unlike her father, brother, and most people on Eos, Astra did not share their faith in the gods. Yes, she was a heathen. King Regis stood up from his throne and left the room with Astra following close behind him; their leaving signaled the rest of the people in the throne room to be dismissed. King Regis walked slowly with his cane in his hand; Captain Drautos of the Kingsglaive had joined the two in the hallway.  

“You don’t plan on saying goodbye?” asked Astra to her father.

King Regis thought it over but not for long. “I already did.”

“ King Regis did.”

He turned to look at Astra and looked back down. He took in a deep breath and let it out. Without saying a word, he turned around and walked back. Astra and Drautos followed him and smiled at each other, silently celebrating the success. “I can warp us to get there faster,” said Astra, skipping into King Regis’ view. 

“Warping three people is too much even for you,” answered King Regis. 

“I’ve done it before.”

“And you fainted immediately after.” 

King Regis was a kind but strict father. “I’ll tell them to wait then,” said Astra. King Regis attempted to stop her, but she had already warped away. She had the habit of warping for small reasons such as not wanting to walk a distance and more; King Regis had reprimanded her, telling her that warping was a gift not to be used lightly. She never listened. 

Now outside the Citadel on the entrance stairs, Astra watched Noctis and his friends walk down the stairs to their car. “Noctis!” she called out to him. She knew he heard her, but he didn’t turn around. Gladio and Prompto glanced at her and said something to Noctis, but her brother shook his head. Despite being twenty years old, Noctis had yet to leave his rebellious teenage phase.

“Your Highness!” Drautos yelled out now beside Astra.

King Regis began descending the stairs to meet Noctis. Noctis turned around and quietly said something to himself. It was easy to find King Regis a grand and strong figure when he sat in his throne, but anyone could tell just how frail he truly was when attempting to walk down stairs. Astra wasn’t sure how much longer a cane would be able to help. Noctis quickly walked back up the stairs to meet his father and reached out to him so that King Regis could find some support. But, King Regis held his hand out to keep him away. 

“I fear I have left too much unsaid,” King Regis began to walk down the stairs beside Noctis. “You place a great burden with those who would bear with you.”

Astra joined the two and stood at King Regis’ side as Drautos watched from behind. Looking at Astra then at their father, Noctis scoffed, “You’re one to talk.”

“I ask not that you guide my wayward son,” said King Regis to Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto.

Astra quietly laughed to herself, “Just wayward?” Noctis, unlike her father, heard her and glared. She quickly looked away and bit her lips to hide her smile.

“Just that you remain at his side,” finished King Regis.

Noctis furrowed his brows. Astra wasn’t sure if he could tell the deeper meaning to their father’s words. “Of course, Your Grace,” said Ignis with a bow.

“We’ll see the prince to Altissia no matter what, “ added Gladio. 

“What he said,” chipped in Prompto. Prompto was looking at Astra whose eyes remained on Noctis. But for a split second, the two’s eyes met and separated just as fast. Astra walked to Noctis and held his hand with both of hers.

“I don’t recall being this close,” said Noctis, trying to escape her grasp. But Astra held onto his hand with a firm grip. Their hands began to glow a faint lilac color, weirding out Noctis but not Astra. “Feels weird.”

“I’m giving you my blessing,” answered Astra.

Noctis nodded.

“You don’t know what it is, do you?”

Silence. The blessing only took a few seconds and Astra quickly let Noctis’ hands go. But he continued staring at her. Actually, everyone was staring at her, including King Regis who wore a face of worry. Ignis pointed at his own nose, and Astra received the message. She wiped the blood from her nose as she tilted her face upward. “You know, you’re still human, right?” Noctis reminded her.

“Like I could forget,” said Astra, wiping the remaining blood from her face.

Noctis stared at her, attempting to get his words out. “The car seats five, ya know?”

“I know.”

“I get Dad not being able to come, but shouldn’t my sister be there at the very least?”

Noctis’ voice was filled with both anger and grief. Astra knew that even if he didn’t show it, he was scared. And she was honored to know he still found comfort in her. But, “I’m needed here,” she said.

“You always are.” Noctis coughed away whatever feeling he felt coming up his throat and turned his back to her. “Well, hate to break this up, but Cor has the motor running.”

Noctis was already halfway down the stairs when King Regis called out to him one last time. “Another thing, do mind your manners around your bride-to-be.”

Noctis stepped forward and bowed sarcastically, “Your Majesty, as well. Please attempt to mind your with our esteemed guests from Niflheim. And well,” He looked at Astra. “I don’t need to worry about you.”

Astra rolled her eyes, but her father answered before she could. “You have no cause for concern.”

“Nor do you.”

“Take heed. Once you leave this place, you cannot turn back.”

King Regis often spoke words with double-meaning, but Noctis rarely noticed. “You think I would,” argued Noctis, placing his hands on his hips. Astra tilted her head questioningly. 

“I only need to know that you’re ready to leave home,” said King Regis.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.” 

Noctis turned around, ready to leave. But King Regis wasn’t done, “Take care on the road. Wherever you may go, the line of Lucis goes with you.” Noctis looked past his father at Astra with confusion. Dragging his son’s attention back to himself, King Regis placed a hand on his son’s shoulder, “Walk tall, my son.”

Noctis held his father’s hand before removing it from his shoulder. Before entering the car, he waved goodbye to his sister and father. King Regis was tired of standing, but he would not rely on Drautos for support or Astra. The two accompanied King Regis to his office where work began again as if they hadn't sent off the heir of their kingdom on a road trip to get married. After dismissing Drautos, King Regis held Astra back.

"Are you still having the visions?" Asked King Regis, sitting in his office.

Astra had dreams, or better said, nightmares occasionally but consistently enough for it to warrant attention. Because they started happening after the Crystal Incident, King Regis was convinced that they were visions, a gift from the gods. Concerning the dreams, the only thing the two could agree on was that it was there to help Noctis.

"Surprisingly, I haven't had them since the last time I told you. I'd have thought they'd pester me even throughout the day with the signing coming up," said Astra, standing across from her father.

He was visibly concerned, probably hoping for some sort of insight. She walked over to her father and knelt before him, taking his hands into her own. “We will make sure our kingdom and Noctis are safe from harm. Together. No matter the cost,” said Astra. 

King Regis squeezed his daughter’s hand, “I’m afraid that is not up to us, my child.”

“I don’t believe that.” Astra raised her voice. “I refuse to.”

“Astra, you have been a pillar of support for this king and country since you were a child. And, I am sorry that this is the fate given to you,” said King Regis, caressing Astra’s face. “But, I ask you to promise that when the worst comes to pass, you will be at Noctis’ side. He will need you.”

Astra took notice of her father’s careful wording. Not if but when. In moments like these, she always felt so useless. As if all her work and knowledge had no purpose. In these instances, all she could do was smile. And so, she did. 

“I promise.”

Chapter Text

It had been only a few days since Noctis left Insomnia and only a few days since it had been announced that Insomnia would be forfeiting all outside Lucian territories to Nifleheim under the peace treaty. Of course, the response was anything but positive. Especially from the Kingsglaive, seeing how almost all of them hailed from outside the Wall. Under the technical terms of the treaty, Noctis and Luna were to marry in Insomnia under the empire’s watch. But King Regis knew better than that and decided to send Noctis to Altissia. He also sent a young Glaive to Tenebrae to find Luna and take her to Noctis in Altissia. However, his plan did not succeed.

“Are you sure you saw the princess?” asked King Regis to one of his men, sitting in this throne.

“Yes, she was seen with the last contingent,” said the man.

Astra, at her father’s side, worried at the new set of problems they faced. “Then, the young Glaive…”

“We can only assume the worst,” said King Regis. “Inform Captain Drautos to bring Princess Lunafreya here.”

The man ran out of the throne room in a hurry, leaving only Astra and King Regis. She stood in front of him with arms crossed, “If she’s here, things get complicated.”

“I am aware.”

“I can have men escort her out within the hour. Of course, we can expect everything else to fall apart much faster than we had earlier planned.”

“Doing that would risk revealing Noctis’ position.”

Small white sparks flew out of Astra’s curled fist which faintly glowed. She remained silent, clearly upset. King Regis held her hand and the glow disappeared. He had more reason to worry, but instead, he smiled at her. “It’s in moments like these that I remember your tantrums when as a child,” said King Regis.  

“I’m not a child anymore, Father,” said Astra, holding his hand.

“And you would always only ever call me ‘Father’ when you were upset. Usually with yourself.” King Regis kissed her hand and looked up at her. “You are right. You’re no longer a child. You are the Lucian Princess Astra Lucis Caelum, head of the Crownsguard and liberator of Glaives. You are my firstborn and protector of the Chosen One. But to me, you will always be my daughter.”

After minutes of pacing and idle conversation, a voice called out from behind the throne room doors, “Her Highness, Princess Lunafreya of Tenebrae.”

King Regis and Astra turned to the throne room’s doors as a tall young woman dressed in an extravagant white dress. She had her blonde hair tied up in a neat ponytail, and her bangs were pushed away from her face, allowing her blue eyes to act as an accessory to her person. She smiled tenderly at the two royals, “It has been a long time, Your Majesty.”

King Regis smiled, “Yes. Far too long.”

Luna moved up the first flight of stairs and stood at the platform. Astra didn't notice it at first but a familiar man in a Glaive's uniform stood behind Luna at the bottom of the stairs. Before she looked at him, he was already staring

"Prince Noctis isn't here, is he?" Asked Luna.

"No, my dear. He isn't," answered King Regus.

Luna looked at Astra, "You've grown into a beautiful woman, Astra. Even in Tenebrae, tales of your accomplishments and heroics can be heard."

"I can say the same for you," said Astra. "Word of the Oracle and her miraculous work is popular even here in Insomnia. Nonetheless, it seems the rumors failed to mention your beauty."

The girls laughed as they did many years ago. "I see you still remain as charismatic as you were back then," said Luna. For a moment, the girls felt as though they were back in Tenebrae, sharing secrets and giggles behind their parents' back. But, there was no way neither of them hadn't changed. Maybe others had that privilege but not them.

"I am too old to fight this war. I have no choice but to accept the empire's proposal," said King Regis. "Even then, I had hoped to hold the wedding elsewhere. Somewhere safe."

"We can ready an escort to take you to him. You needn't worry about what you leave behind," said Astra. "We'll take care of it."

But, Luna shook her head, "Wherever I go, the empire will follow. And Noctis will never be safe." It was just as King Regis had told Astra; Luna also recognized the dangers her presence held when next to Noctis. Both Astra and King Regis silently agreed with her. Luna stood valiantly, looking up at Astra and King Regis. "It is my duty to protect the prince and see his destiny fulfilled. The last 12 years have not changed that.

"And what of your destiny?" Asked King Regis.

"My duty is my destiny, Your Majesty. No matter what may come to pass."

The private reunion couldn’t last long. In a way, they had stolen Princess Lunafreya away for a moment, and she had to be returned before the empire came themselves. Outside the throne room, Astra found the familiar Glaive. “You’re looking worse for wear,” she said, walking up to him.

“I could say the same for you, Your Highness,” said the man.

His name was Nyx Ulric, a Kingsglaive, working under Captain Drautos. Due to politics, Astra was stationed with his platoon when she spent some time in the frontlines, and that is where they first met, officially. At the frontlines, they would take turns pulling each other out of danger and saving each other’s lives. She still owed him one, a favor Nyx never cashed in because he thought it’d be nice to have a princess owing him something. 

“I take it you don’t agree with the treaty,” said Astra.

“You do?”

“I’m afraid I’m not allowed that luxury. Truth be told, we were never going to win this war.” Astra and Nyx walked together down the hallway. “We were just pushing off the inevitable.”

Nyx remained silent. His homeland was outside the walls, Galahd. He, along with most of the Glaives, were refugees, searching for asylum inside the Wall. This haven was only given to them in return for service as the king’s men.

“You’re leaving, aren’t you?” asked Astra.

“I leave after the signing. And don’t try to convince me not to—”

“Nyx, you know I wouldn’t. If I were you, I’d be packing my bags too,” admitted Astra. “But…”

“This is your home and your responsibility.”

Astra nodded, “You know me so well.” Astra had always heard about the camaraderie soldiers shared. In a way, she had always envied the soldiers who seemed so connected with their peers, but after realizing what was the cost of that connection after discovering it herself firsthand, she scoffed at her previous naivety. Nyx continuously stared at Astra, more than usual, considering he was a typically up-front guy. “Spit it out,” she said.

“What was all that back in the throne room? About destiny and duty,” said Nyx.

Without missing a beat, Astra shrugged. “You know us royals. We like using big words for everyday things, including our royal fates.”

“You know, Astra . You still do that thing with your head whenever you lie or do something mischievous. The tilt,” said Nyx. “But, I’ll let it pass since I know you have a lot on your plate.”

“Thanks,” said Astra forcefully. “And it’s ‘Your Highness,’ by the way.”

“Yeah, sure. Anyways, was that guard duty your idea?” Nyx was always good at changing a conversation even if the other party was aware. Even Astra, a master at conversation, had trouble handling the likes of Nyx. But, at this moment, she was thankful for him and his kind demeanor.

“Oh, that?” Astra couldn’t help but laugh, imagining Nyx standing alone at the gate, bored out of his mind. “Yeah, that was me. Drautos asked me for some help punishing a rebellious Glaive. I didn’t need a name to know who it was. The whole thing had Nyx Ulric written all over it.”

“Ha-ha,” Nyx sounded out. “I knew Drautos wouldn’t have picked something like that. That had your name all over it.”

The two conversed normally as if they had all the time in the world. They caught up like old friends who didn’t have to care about pretense. As usual, she complained about the court and politics, and he complained about training and Drautos. It was a small moment of happiness for them both. One that wouldn’t last. “I take it that it was a sweet reunion?” asked Drautos, appearing out of another interceding hallway.

The two immediately tensed up. To Nyx, he was his superior and thus demanded a form of respect. To Astra, he was her father’s trusted official, but she always felt an odd chill whenever he was around. Either way, the two knew that it wasn’t “proper” to speak so casually to each other. Not in the Citadel. Well, not at all. “It was refreshing to see her,” said Astra. Drautos’ attention remained on Nyx, and Astra received the memo. “It was nice catching up, but I’m afraid I must take my leave.”

Astra left the two as she continued her path. She heard their distant conversation die out as she left the main building. Outside the Citadel, a car was waiting for her to take her to her next appointment. The Glaive driving her opened the car door and offered his hand to help her, but at touching her, he was surprised. “Your hand is very cold, Your Highness.”

“Is it?” asked Astra, now sitting inside the car. She rubbed her hands and noticed that they weren’t only almost freezing cold but also numb. Ignis came to mind. She searched her pockets, took out a small bottle, and poured out two pills. She took a drink from the always-stocked water bottles from the car and forced down the pills. The pain she felt as the pills scratched her throat stirred away whatever sleep she could have gotten on the short ride to her next appointment. She tried closing her eyes and will it back into her, but it didn’t work. All she could think was that she had a party to plan.

Chapter Text

Fireworks adorned the sky. People dressed in their best garbs occupied the rooftop party of Insomnia’s most luxurious hotel. While some could only see the pretty lights and colors, Astra saw the time and money put into the party. Even if it was to host a celebration for the peace treaty, businessmen loved their business; Astra could only think about the headache it cost her to have the party there. But, at least the empire was enjoying themselves.

“Nice party,” said Nyx, standing guard at the celebration. He stood in a corner that held the most visibility. Astra had hoped to hide away in that corner alone but found Nyx there in the shadows.

“I know right. I was thinking that if the whole princess thing doesn’t work out for me I could always become a party planner,” said Astra, stirring the drink in her hand. The two stood together in silence. Nyx wasn’t really allowed to socialize, and Astra was too tired to. But both of their attentions were caught at the presence of an elderly man dressed in white accompanied by two guards of the empire.

“Is that—”

“Emperor Aldecart,” finished Astra. Emperor Aldecart was the current ruler of Niflheim. He was older than Astra had expected. Much frailer and easier to kill. She could see him talking to her father, attempting to entertain him and inflate his ego. She couldn’t vaguely make out what they were saying but could clearly read their body language. It didn’t take long for her father to look for her. She finished the remainder of her current drink in one last gulp and replaced her empty cup for a full one from a passing waiter. “Time to go to work,” she said to Nyx.

“I was just praising this marvelous celebration. Such a lovely party undoubtedly required much work, especially in the allotted time,” said Emperor Aldecart to Astra as she arrived.

Astra forced a smile, “Yes, I made sure to spare no expense. This is, after all, a historic moment.” 

Emperor Aldecart carried on his conversation with King Regis as normal, ignoring Astra. Taking advantage of his disinterest, she escaped to another corner of the party near the ledge. She stirred the still full drink in her hand as she leaned on the railing of the rooftop party. From the corners of her eyes, she saw a shadow approach her. “Your glass is still full, I see,” said Ardyn.

Without looking at him, Astra answered, “I already had one, and one’s all I can really handle.”

Ardyn took the glass from her hands and took a drink. They both knew just how rude of an action that was, and although Astra normally would, she didn’t intend on lecturing him on the proper way a foreign diplomat ought to treat a princess. It’s not like he would care. Astra knew that. “You know, princess,” said Ardyn. “I can’t help but feel that you don’t want this peace.”

“Don’t put words into my mouth, Chancellor.”

“Then what is it? Don’t tell me you lament over the loss of the outside territories,” mocked Ardyn. “I assure you, Insomnia will remain safe and in your hands. Unless…is it the issue of the heir?”

“You overstep!”

Ardyn threw his hands up as if to signify defeat then bowed. “I humbly apologize. I did not mean to offend. I simply see what others do not. A familiar look in your eyes that, if I may add, reminds me of mine."

She turned her entire body towards Ardyn and readied her hand at her side. She was ready to cut him down where he stood even if her father and Emperor Aldecart stood in view. In fact, Emperor Aldecart almost saw Astra's glowing hand but Ardyn shielded her from his view. Astra would be lying if she said she wasn't surprised. An attack on the empire by the Lucis kingdom would open the door to all sorts of trouble that would only help the empire, and yet, Ardyn appeared to protect her from that.

"I apologize, once again. I have been told to mind my words before, but I always fail to take it into consideration when it truly matters," said Ardyn. "I meant no offense. I only believe that you are suited for something more than just being a princess. I assure you, we are more alike than you'd know."

"I don't need assurance for something that isn't true," said Astra. Ardyn smiled and raised his glass.

"Of course," he said, raising his glass with a smile. "This toast is to your future and wherever it may lead." He finished the drink and left without saying another word. Astra remained where she stood with her hands empty and watched Ardyn disappear into the crowd. She turned her attention back to the sky and looked past the blinding fireworks to look at the stars. But, she could no longer see them.

It was finally the day of the signing. The entire city of Insomnia was either celebrating or wallowing with a drink in hand. Astra was too busy for either. For events such as these, some details always needed last minute fixing and that was Astra’s expertise. From the moment she woke, Astra had her hands full, even having to skip breakfast. But finally, the signing was two hours away, and she was to meet her father in the throne room. She was late.

Scurrying to the throne room, Astra attempted to add the finishing touches to her hair and outfit. She wore her Crownsglaive uniform which allowed her mobility and charm. Astra was the only person wearing such a uniform because she was both head of the Crownsguard and a member of the Kingsglaive; although, she was currently considered an inactive Glaive. “I’m here! Sorry,” said Asta to King Regis as she entered the throne room. “I know I’m late, but a lot of things like to fall apart at the last minute.”

King Regis stood beside a window and Clarus stood beside him. They probably watched as Aldecart arrived at the Citadel. But now, King Regis only looked at her as she walked up the stairs to go to him. “You look beautiful,” he told Astra.

“I try my best,” she said with a smile. Now at his side, Astra could see the fine wrinkles on her father’s face accompanied by dark circles. Clarus didn’t look any better. “They’re here, right?”

“Yes, Emperor Aldecart was just reported entering the Citadel,” said Clarus. 

King Regis reached for Astra and pushed a loose hair out of her face. “Yeah, I tried getting it under control myself,” said Astra as she waved about a hair pin in her hand. “But I do not have my hairdresser’s hands.”

“Allow me,” said King Regis, surprising both Astra and Clarus. There was no way Astra could refuse when her father had already left his cane and taken the hair pin from her hand. Astra stood still as her father pushed back the loose hairs and delicately placed the pin in her hair. She wasn’t sure he even did it right, but she didn’t care. Whenever King Regis looked at either Noctis or Astra, he would always have the same look— a look of love. “I have watched you grow from a curious child to an accomplished woman. And come what may, know that I am proud of you and…” King Regis’s hand fell back to his cane. “I—.”

“Your Majesty, a man of the Kingsglaive demands an audience,” voiced a man as he entered the throne room, ruining whatever sentiment had been building up.

“Demands?” asked Astra, turning to the man. “And at such a time?”

Without warning, the throne room doors’ opened and a familiar face entered. “Your Majesty, please give the orders to deploy the Glaive,” he said, pushing past guards and kneeling at the foots of the stairs.

“You,” said King Regis.

“His name is Nyx Ulric,” informed Astra. “I trust him.”

“A Nifleheim fleet makes ready for war 20 miles south,” said Nyx with urgency. “And they have the princess.”

“Explains why she wasn’t seen with the Emperor,” said Astra to her father.

It took only a second for King Regis to come up with a plan, “Post guards outside the treaty room.”

Astra tapped on her earpiece and quietly gave the command to her team. But, Clarus voiced his concerns, “It will be seen as a lack of faith in the peace.”

“It wouldn’t be a lie,” added Astra.

“We may have to even take Emperor Aldecart into custody.” King Regis then turned to Astra. “Astra, go to the treaty room and—”

“Entertain him. On it,” said Astra, already halfway down the stairs. Nyx and her met eyes and nodded to each other, wishing each other good luck on their assigned missions. The treaty room wasn’t too far off since it was inside the Citadel. Followed by a guard, she left the throne room and arrived at the treaty room within minutes. The first thing seen entering the room was Emperor Aldecart sitting at a table sitting two all the way down the room; King Regis would sit next to him and sign the treaty later. The empire’s delegation sat on one side, and across them, were the empty seats where the Lucian officials would sit. But, they would not arrive until King Regis did. All eyes were on her. Among them, she found a familiar face: Ravus Nox Fleuret. 

He was Luna’s older brother. The last time she properly saw him he was begging her father for help from Nifleheim. Now, he sat there with the enemy, wearing their colors. They'd met again after that, but none of that mattered now. Astra didn’t pay him any more attention than what he was worth and walked all the way down to the signing table where Emperor Aldecart sat. She first went and stood before the Emperor to speak with him, “I apologize for the wait. We met with unforeseen circumstances.”

The Emperor smiled, “Have they been resolved?”

“Most of them. I’m sure you know how peculiar details are for these events.”

“Yes, well. It has taken us many years to come to this point. What are a few more minutes?”

After sharing a fake laugh with the Emperor, Astra left  and sat in her assigned seat on the Lucian side.. In a room filled with the delegation and highest ranking members of her kingdom’s enemy, minutes felt like hours. Her heart felt like it was being squeezed tighter every minute. She could feel the gazes of the officials on her, critiquing her every hair. They wanted answers. They wanted action. But, Astra just wanted to go home. It wasn’t until she saw Clarus and her father walk through the doors that she felt a sense of relief.

“You took your sweet time,” Astra told Clarus as he sat down next to her.

“We’re not all young,” retorted Clarus.

From where she sat, Astra could see her father and the Emperor conversing. It appeared normal from the outside to those who didn’t really know them. But Astra knew her father, and she knew he was pissed. She felt a gaze on her and found Ravus still staring at her. She didn’t look away until he did. But he only did so to look at her father. There was some sort of obsession in his eyes, and that’s when Astra noticed that there was still some tension around her heart.

“I don’t like this,” she whispered to herself.

Clarus then stood up from his seat and whispered something in King Regis’ ear. She couldn’t hear what it was, but she could read his lips. We have the Princess. When Clarus sat back down in his seat, both Emperor Aldecart and King Regis stood up and walked towards the table where the treaty would be signed. Now that they were closer and louder, Astra, along with everyone else, could hear their conversation. 

“Tell me, Emperor. What punishment do you have for thieves in your empire?” asked King Regis.

“It is amongst one of our heaviest. Although there is one exception,” said the Emperor as he raised one finger.

It was obviously a sign to someone. Astra looked around, trying to find someone who was behaving oddly. She thought maybe Ravus, but no. He stood still doing nothing. She thought maybe it was the man sitting closest to the Emperor, but he also remained still. 

“And what might that be?” asked King Regis.

“A curious old law I still allow in the outlands. A thief who escapes his captor is no longer held accountable for his crime,” answered Emperor Aldecart.

“A warning to the victim.”

“Oh no, good king.”

The treaty was now on the table. If there was a time to act, it would be now. Astra scanned over every individual, and still, she couldn’t find anyone suspicious. More than what they typically were.

“It is a warning to justice itself,” said the Emperor with an eerie smile. “Never to lose its grip.”

A familiar deafening boom could be heard from outside the Citadel. It was an explosion. She could even hear the screams of people— her people. King Regis and Astra could Emperor Aldecart pull a gun from his clothes, and the entire room drew their weapons, King Regis and Astra included. Another explosion was heard. This time, it was much closer; it came from inside the Citadel. Both Astra and King Regis felt what was just lost.

The Wall had fallen.

Chapter Text

Hello,

Music has always been a big inspiration for me whenever I'm stuck with my writing. It inspires new scenarios and even entire stories. So, I decided to make a playlist for Replica of Night. It's playlist curated specifically for the main pairing of the story, Astra and Prompto. It's pretty much songs on how they view themselves as individuals and each other (both platonically and romantically). The playlist is titled "to the star and the sea" because that is the symbolism I've been drawing with the two. Astra is obviously the stars, and Prompto is the sea.

I have a range of artists like Adele and Mitski extending over to Frankie Valli and Chet Baker; there's also some songs in Spanish (because I speak it but you can find English translation for the lyrics online if need be). I think most of them are sad songs since a lot of their relationship is basically centered around yearning and what they believe to be one-sided love. I hope that you can enjoy the playlist even on its own!

EDIT: I have also made a playlist for Astra and Noctis (obviously not as a ship). I find their dynamic to be very interesting which sound kind of funny when I'm saying it since I'm writing it. But, anyways! Hope you can enjoy that one too! (p.s. the Astra and Noctis playlist is the second link.)

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/2O9DNMB8K8nDhqmp6ZbKVs?si=e32696a300e84bfa 

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6uP8nFGS8L7yn0R2CVDOwp?si=4da560d00d2d4e43

Chapter Text

“The crystal will not serve you,” declared King Regis.

“Nor you,” said Emperor Aldecart bitterly. “Once I take it from this accursed city.”

Astra looked out the grand window and saw the Niflheim battalions entering the city. She recognized them from her time on the frontlines, and she knew what they were capable of from personal experience. Small projectiles flew out of the airship and headed straight to them.

“We have incoming!” yelled Astra.

The projectiles came crashing into the treaty room, paying no mind to the damage they did to themselves or their surroundings. They were of the magitek infantry, robotic soldiers with no will or spirit. The mindless robots stood up from the rubble and began shooting their weapons at the Lucian officials. Astra along with the other capable officials raised their magic shields to protect themselves from the bullets. 

From behind the shield, she could see Emperor Aldecart escape with his officials. Astra moved to stand next to her father who was shielding a group of Lucian officials, including Clarus himself. With her sword in hand and raising her shield with the other, she looked to her father for orders, “I can take out the Emperor.”

“No!” yelled King Regis. “Find Lunafreya. You must get her out of the city.”

Astra stared at her father blankly, “What? I’m not abandoning you. I’m not—”

“You are not abandoning me! You are ensuring our future.”

Astra felt her eyes burn and her throat tighten. She held her sword tightly to the point it hurt. She didn’t realize it, but she was slightly shaking her head, not even minding the shooting outside the shield. King Regis raised his other hand and held her cheek, “You are our fastest. They will not be able to catch you. Not if you leave now.”

“Noctis was right.” She bit her lip. “You are cruel.”

King Regis smiled at her one last time.

“I’ll see you in a minute, old man.” Astra held his hand before removing it from her cheek. “That’s a promise.”

Turning around without saying another word, Astra left the shield and warped her way out the room. Away from the bloodshed. And away from her father.

It was as if the entire world had gone to hell. There were magitek robots all over the city, shooting at soldiers and citizens alike. Astra took out what she could as she worked her way throughout the city. See, last Astra heard, Luna was in custody, but Astra didn’t know where. No one was responding to her calls through her phone and her earpiece. But, the fleet Nyx had mentioned earlier were now inside the city. In other words, Astra needed to find a way to get inside an active airship and work her way out from there. And sometimes the fastest way to do that was also the most direct way.

Astra had spent the past few minutes warping her way up the stairs of a skyscraper. Electricity was out, so that took out the elevator. Now at the skyscraper’s rooftop, Astra waited as the nearest airship was at an adequate position. It was an uncomfortably long distance from her to the ship, but it was the only way aboard. Astra shook her hands erratically and stretched her neck. She summoned her sword and threw it off the building, towards the ship. Then, she warped to it. After catching her weapon in midair, she repeated the process in the direction of the airship.

She’d be lying if she said it wasn’t a scary experience. She’d never warped so far away from the ground, and it’s not like she was warping to a place she’d be able to rest. One last warp, and she was there. The airship had released its cannon, allowing ample space for her to enter through. She threw her sword into the airship and warped inside without a second thought.

One, two, no, three guards surrounded her. She immediately dislodged her sword from the wall and threw it to the wall behind the guards, warping to it before they could react and attacked them from behind. More appeared, she did the same. She worked her way through the airship, but it was for nought. She didn’t find Lunafreya, just more and more guards and mindless robots. Surrounded by the cadavers of the robots and guards she killed, Astra felt someone approaching her from behind. She raised her sword in the figure’s direction and only then she turned her head to see a Glaive in uniform, raising his hands. 

“I’m a Glaive, Your Highness! Human,” said the Glaive.

Astra retreated her sword, “Were you part of the squad sent to retrieve Princess Lunafreya?”

“Yes, Your Highness.” The Glaive touched his ear, fidgeting with his earpiece. A distant voice could be heard coming from it. Her grip tightened around her sword. Another Glaive appeared behind the other Glaive.

“Your Majesty,” the second Glaive called out with worry.

Without warning, the first Glaive pulled out his dagger and swung at Astra. Astra dodged and warped away, next to the second Glaive. The first Glaive threw his dagger at Astra but the second Glaive took the hit for her, allowing the dagger to impale him in the heart. Warping back to the first Glaive, Astra took a dagger from his clothes and stabbed him with it, twisting the knife in his chest to make sure the deed was done. Once done, Astra warped to the dying Glaive’s side. She lifted his hood and revealed an unfamiliar face filled with tears.

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. I’m sorry,” he cried.

“Shh. It’s okay,” said Astra. “ We should’ve done better.”

“No, you don’t understand. It’s us. It was always us.”

“I...I don’t understand.”

“It was always us,” he repeated with a defeated tone, pointing to the Glaive Astra killed. “Trust no one.”

The Glaive's final words haunted Astra. If the empire had infiltrated the Kingsglaive, then just how high did it go? This meant that even the Crownsguard could be compromised. Maybe even the Royal Council.

No, Astra had to calm herself. Worrying about things she no longer mattered wouldn't do her any good. She was needed in the here and now. After realizing she would not be able to take on the entirety of the airship's guards, Astra went back to the engine room where the cannon was. She counted five cables that were connected to the cannon: four for support and one for its energy blast. Astra gathered her elemental magic in her sword and slashed the first cable as she warped to land on the cannon, cutting off its energy blast. Next up were the supporting cables. She cut one cable from one side, and then the opposing cable from the other side to maintain her balance. The remaining two cables were holding on for dear life.

But then the entire cannon shook as an unidentified person landed on top of the cannon behind Astra. She turned to see someone clothed in the empire's magitek exosuit, resembling General Glauca. They held a greatsword in one hand and stood still.

"Princess Astra Lucis Caelum," said the figure in a deep, groaning voice. "It is an honor to finally meet."

"And you are?" Asked Astra. "What? General Glauca's knockoff?"

He laughed, "No, I am Skrell. We met before. On the frontlines."

"I apologize. You escape my memory," said Astra, readying her sword. "Anyways, how did you find me?"

"You are loud for a princess," he said, motioning to their surroundings.

At the same time, Astra saw the Citadel in the distance as a projectile crashed into it where the other magitek robots had come through before. Noticing her attention was elsewhere, Skrell turned to look at the Citadel and laughed. “I assure you, Princess,” he said mockingly. “Your King is in safe hands.” Astra’s eyes lingered away from Skrell, taking notice of the strained cable that still connected itself to the cannon.

“So much for the peace,” she said, looking back at Skrell.

“I’m sure you never truly believed in it. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be wearing your uniform.”

Astra could hear the metal footsteps of imperial soldiers approaching. So did Skrell. “There’s no way out of this, Your Highness. Surrender and you will be spared,” he said.

Astra smiled, “Who said anything about getting out?” With her sword, she cut the cable next to her, imbalancing the entire cannon. She stabbed her sword into the cannon as Skrell fell down the vertical cannon. But almost instantly, the last cable gave in and the cannon began to fall, draggin pieces of the airship and Skrell with it. As he fell, Skrell knocked Astra off her sword, and they fell away from the cannon.

Astra had never fought anyone whilst falling. It felt as if she had to fight against two entities: Skrell and gravity. She summoned her sword back to her and blocked Skrell’s first attack that sent her flying back to the cannon. She stabbed her sword back into the cannon and watched as Skrell used the rubble of the airship to work his way to the cannon. He seemed unaffected by the pressure of falling and flew towards Astra. Needing to stay on the cannon, Astra warped from one side of the cannon to the other as it fell, dodging Skrell’s sword. Her goal was first dodging the hits and surviving the fall. She had better use being alive. But, her constant dodging infuriated Skrell, “Fight back!”

The sun was setting. It felt as though it was too early. Shadows covered both Skrell and Astra, and the air felt cooler. They were surrounded by buildings. Astra looked around, trying to find the right building, but Skrell still didn’t give up. “Fight! Back!” he yelled as he raised his hand and shot lightning at Astra. Caught off guard, Astra fell back, away from her sword, but still held onto the cannon with her own hands.

Magic. He used magic. But, only the Royal line of Lucis had magic. Only they and their trusted officials could use it. Wait, no. Not just them. The Kingsglaive had magic too. Skrell laughed at the look on her face, “We’re not all slaves.”

Still barely holding onto the cannon with her own hand, Astra summoned back her sword into her other hand. Skrell readied himself, holding his sword in front of him with both hands. She threw the sword straight at him, but instead of warping to him, she warped past him. She summoned her sword back into her hand and impaled it into the side of a building. The sudden impact hurt her arm, but she held on and watched as the cannon fell down with Skrell. A cloud of dust appeared upon impact, obstructing all view of whatever remained.

Now closer to the ground, Astra felt comfortable warping directly into the cloud of dust. She landed on a car or whatever remind of it. Visibility was worse inside the cloud. All she could see were balls of hovering light, indicating the lamppost had begun to turn on. She waved away the floating dust around her face as if would do something. Astra found the cannon but no Skrell. A part of her hoped maybe his body had been buried underneath the cannon and rubble, but the swift impact that came from behind her and threw her out the dust cloud told her otherwise.

Her entire body felt numb from the impact. She commanded her body to get up even if she couldn’t feel it move, and it did as ordered. There was some ringing. She couldn’t tell if it was just her or an alarm from nearby. Skrell exited the cloud of dust, scraping his greatsword across the pavement. It sounded like s screech or nails on a chalkboard. The top of her lip felt cold, and she wiped away the blood as she summoned her sword back into her hand.

“You disappoint me, Princess,” said Skrell. “I was promised a riveting fight with the Silver Devil— with the grand Slayer of Daemons and Metal alike.”

He circled Astra, watching her every look and breath. “You know, they call you the Liberator of Glaives for what you did. I mean that’s only one among the countless other titles you’ve been given,” he said. “Head of the Crownsguard. Glaive. Protector. But, do you know what they call you in Niflheim?”

Astra widened her stance and lowered herself, raising her sword with both hands. Skrell pointed his sword at Astra, “They call you the Royal Lucian dog—” He could barely dodge the sword Astra threw at his head. He shot lightning at the sword, but Astra never warped to it. A sudden chill fell on his back, but it was too late. The sword had already disappeared from his sight. Astra sent him flying back after striking him with her magically infused polearm.

She watched as his body hit a car and then a bounce off to hit the building behind him. Astra walked into the hole he created on the side of the building. He was barely getting up. He laughed as he wiped the building’s rubble off his body, “There it is."

"There it is. That look in your eyes. That bloodlust. And that polearm," he said. "Every time the Lucian princess is doing something memorable, she's holding her mother's weapon in her hand."

Her expression didn't change, but she could sense the grin on his.

"It's a cute sentiment. Or at least it would be if it weren't for such a bloody cause," he said, adjusting the position of his sword. "Either way, I have my orders. The real fight begins now."

Whoever this Skrell guy was, he was strong. Too strong to have never heard of him before. The sun had already set, meaning there were only a few minutes left of sunlight. Astra could hear a distant inhuman screech that she hadn’t heard in a long time, sending shivers down her spine. At the sound of its screech, Skrell seemed desperate to end the fight. He got careless.

“What? Dad wants you home before nightfall?” asked a panting Astra.

Their fight had collapsed two different buildings and destroyed several more. She had broken through pieces of his armor, but not enough of it for a clear kill shot. Astra was covered in cuts and bruises all over. Her hair was all over the place, and yet the hair pin her father placed in her hair remained untouched. “Yeah, my Dad too,” she whispered to herself.

“You…” said Skrell. “You. Just die.”

“Can’t. Not allowed.”

They were near a shopping plaza. Astra had been there before many times. And, he was near the perfect spot. What was in the center of almost every plaza? Filled with coins from visitors? Yes, the water fountain. He lunged at her one last time, and his sword grazed her neck and cut a portion of her hair. Then, she knew it. 

It was over.

She had him where she wanted. She threw her polearm at him, but he dodged it. And it landed inside the fountain.  Just as planned. She shot lighting from her hand toward her polearm, electrifying the entire fountain and Skrell in it. He shook violently, but Astra continued until the holes in his armor embiggened. She stopped when he collapsed onto his knees and retreated the polearm away from their plane. Astra walked over to Skrell who was panting frantically and fighting off the inevitable.

Stepping into the fountain, Astra kneeled next to Skrell and laid him down on his back. She took off his mask to reveal an entirely unfamiliar face filled with scars and tears. He looked at her, but Astra wasn’t sure he could even see her. His eyes were glazed over, and scars shaped the surroundings of them both. 

“You abandoned me. I was there when you came for the Glaives, screaming. But you didn’t hear.” He cried and then laughed. “You—You don’t remember me, do you?”

Astra couldn’t bring herself to lie and even without her answering, he received his answer.

“I was told you were all cruel. You were supposed to be cruel,” he said quietly to himself.

She summoned a dagger to her side, and Skrell could sense its presence. He sniffed and bit his lip, fighting off the emotions that threatened to overtake him. “Have you made your peace?” she asked in a whisper. But, he only lay still and silent. Astra raised her dagger and pierced it into his chest. He let out a sigh and closed his eyes. He was gone. 

Astra stood up and was ready to leave. But from the corner of her eyes, she saw something shine. It was her hairpin. She hadn’t even noticed when it fell. Must’ve been when Skrell cut her hair. She walked over to pick it up but hovered her hand over the pin, noticing the blood and dirt she was covered in. After wiping her hand on the inside of her jacket, she picked up the hair pin and hid it in her pocket. At that exact second, she felt her heart suddenly tighten and a shock fell over her entire body. She fell to her knees, clutching onto her heart and gasping from the pain. 

She knew what it was. She knew what happened, and it overwhelmed her with more than one kind of pain. She tried to scream, but no sound came out. Noctis was long gone from Insomnia. The Wall had fallen. And now...it was over. She felt it when it happened.

King Regis was dead.

Chapter Text

Her father was dead. She could feel the blessing she had placed on him disappear and return to her. It was a painful process but a necessary one in her eyes. And yet, she wished she had never placed it on him. She didn't want to feel him take his last breath. The returning of the blessing didn't feel like something was taken from her but as if something was returned. But she didn't want it. She wanted to be unwhole as long as it meant he was okay. But there was no point denying it. He was gone.

There was no point going back to the Citadel even if she knew his body would be there. The distant screeching from before echoed throughout the city. After climbing to the top of a building, Astra could see what remained of her city. There was fire everywhere her eyes turned, and screaming came from almost every which way. Her hands trembled, and she thought of Ignis again. She reached for her pocket but her bottle of pills was nowhere to be found. Must've fallen out during her fight.

She still had to find Luna, but she didn't know where to start. By this time, she could be anywhere with anyone. Then, she saw it. The reason for the screaming and screeching. The empire had dropped a Diamond Weapon, a daemon that made skyscrapers look small packed with weaponry that could annihilate entire civilizations within minutes. Astra had only ever seen them on the front lines. Niflheim wanted to make a point.

She was about to warp toward the Diamond Weapon when she heard distinct grunts and screams a few streets away from her. She looked for the source of the sound and found two trained individuals fighting off a small horse of lesser daemons. They were cornered and tired, but Astra turned back around and took a step in the Diamond Weapon's direction then faltered. The screams seemed to get louder and echo throughout her mind, not allowing her to hear her own thoughts. She felt a deep and constant pounding in her chest and jumped off the building.

She warped to the lesser daemons which were a lot bigger up close. She threw her sword into the daemons neck and warped to it, using her body's momentum to swing across its neck and cut it open. Before touching the ground, she threw her sword above the last daemon and after warping back to it, she landed on top of the daemon's back. She plunged her sword into its neck and let out her lightning, dispersing it throughout the daemon's entire body. The daemon fell dead, and Astra slid off its back, still holding her sword in her hand. The two trained individuals approached Astra, allowing her to recognize them as Monica and Dustin, Crownsguard retainers in service of House Amicitia. They were close to the Royal family, but none of that mattered anymore. Before they could get any closer, Astra raised her sword at them, and they remained still.

"Your Highness! It's us. Monica Elshett and Dustin Ackers," yelled Dustin. He was a man well into his years but still able enough to carry his sword with precision and strength.

"We've tried contacting Sir Clarus, but we've received no response," said Monica. She was younger than Dustin but just as skilled. If not even more.

Astra waited a moment to catch her breath. "Insomnia has fallen. The king is dead. And the Kingsglaive compromised," she said without lowering her weapon. Both Monica and Dustin looked at each other with wide eyes and worry. "If even the King's men were compromised, how could I not expect mine to be also?"

"No!" A young girl yelled as she stood in between Astra and the two Crownguards. She was younger and shorter than Astra. She was dressed lightly, and she was covered in dirt from up to her brown hair and down to her boots. Astra knew the one and only reason the girl was brave enough to stand up to her. She was a friend. More specifically, she was the youngest child of House Amicitia, Gladio's baby sister and Clarus' daughter.

"Iris," called out Astra without moving her sword. Without warning, both Monica and Dustin moved Iris behind them. They dropped their weapons and kneeled before Astra, but still, her sword wouldn't move.

"Your Highness! We understand the position you are in and will bear the fate you give us," said Monica on her knees.

"But we ask that you spare Lady Iris. Even if you cannot trust us. She is innocent," said Dustin.

"You don't even ask for a way to prove your own innocence," pointed out Astra.

The two Crownsguards looked at each other and then at her. "We do not know how," said Monica. Astra's eyes remained on the two. She observed the cuts and bruises scattered across their bodies whose clothes were covered in dirt. Behind them stood Iris with dirt all over but with no wounds or pain. Astra dematerialized her sword.

"Pick up your weapons and get up. I believe you," said Astra. Monica and Dustin reluctantly took back their weapons. They looked at her without saying a word. “Had you been compromised, you would’ve used Iris as a hostage.” The two nodded in understanding. Astra scouted the rest of the street from where she stood.

“Is it true?” asked Iris. Astra turned around to look back at her. Iris held onto the hem of her shirt tightly and bit her lip. “Is the king really dead?” Astra knew what she was really asking about. For some reason, Astra couldn’t get her mouth to open, and so she nodded her head instead, making Iris almost fall on her knees.

Iris couldn’t understand how Astra could stand there without saying a word or how she was so ready to take the life of Monica and Dustin, two Crownsguards she knew and trusted. She couldn’t understand how Astra wasn’t even crying. Iris wanted to yell at her to do something, but she couldn’t when she saw her face. Iris remembered how happy Astra was when she received her custom uniform, and now it was cut all over and ruined. Astra always had her hair down and neatly placed away from her face, but her hair was an uneven mess with dirt in it. But it was her eyes that silenced Iris. Astra, who always looked straight ahead to the person she spoke to, couldn’t meet eyes with anyone and looked anywhere else on their faces instead. They were red and puffy, and although it could be blamed on some dirt in her eye, Iris could see the streaks of dried tears on her dirty face.

“What are our orders?” asked Monica to Astra. Astra looked around. Monica and Dustin had been protecting Iris who sought shelter in one of the buildings along with other civilians; Astra could see more civilians hiding through the windows of other buildings. She could hear the distant screeches of the Diamond Weapon, but her focus was there with her people. She prayed her father could forgive her, but she could not abandon them.

“You were making your way to the city gate?” asked Astra.

“Yes, we were escorting Lady Iris and several other civilians,” said Monica.

“But the large crowd gathered the attention of the daemons,” finished Dustin.

“Alright. Monica. Dustin. You’re with me. We’re going to clear the path for everyone.” Astra then approached Iris. “Iris, I need you to take control of the people and guide them through the streets. Keep them out of the way, but keep them moving. Can you do that?”

Iris wiped away the tears that had escaped her eyes and nodded, “Don’t forget I’m an Amicitia.”

“Atta girl.”

Astra summoned her sword back into her hand. It felt heavier than before, but it still felt like hers. She walked down the center of the street followed by Monica and Dustin and embraced the fight. Not every street they turned to was filled with daemons, but those were the streets that scared Astra the most. It was the feeling of safety being ripped from you at the sight of a gruesome monster. Fortunately for Astra, Monica and Dustin weren’t the retainers of House Amicitia for no reason. They were both skilled warriors in their own right, more than capable of keeping up with Astra. Even when a daemon somehow slipped past the three, Iris was able to make quick work of it, making the Amicitia name proud. Astra wouldn’t have been able to take on all those daemons on her own; she would’ve collapsed before making it halfway. Using her magical abilities had its repercussions on her body, and she was beginning to feel it.

They traversed through several streets, picking up more and more civilians seeking refuge along the way. They stayed clear from the main streets and took the long route to the city gate. It took more time than expected, but the entire group had finally made it. They gathered beneath the highway that led straight out the city. There were stairs, leading straight up to the highway, that remained almost miraculously untouched. But it seemed that the empire focused its attack in the center of the city and ignored what surrounded its borders.

“Stay here and hide until sunrise,” Astra told Monica and Dustin.

“What about you?” Iris asked Astra. But her question wasn’t heard due to the sudden loud rumbling heard all throughout the city. Everyone turned every which way and analyzed their surroundings, but Astra found the cause of the rumbling before anyone else. In the distance where a giant statue of one of the Old Kings of Lucis stood, Astra could see the statue come to life and shake off the stone surrounding it. “What? But that power…”

It was the power of the Ring of Lucii. The power that belonged to her father and now to Noctis. Astra couldn’t think of anyone who could handle the power of the Lucii, and she feared the worst. An image of blonde hair and white clothes flashed into Astra’s mind, and she felt her heart drop.

“You’re going,” said Iris, quietly. “Aren’t you?”

Astra faintly smiled and nodded her head. “You can handle yourself, right?”

“Better than you.”

Laughing hurt, but Astra couldn’t help it. “I’ll see you around.” Monica and Dustin came up to Astra before they left with potions in hand.

“For the road,” said Dustin.

Astra thought about rejecting them but knew that they wouldn’t take ‘No’ for an answer. She took an energy potion immediately and stored away the rest. “Keep them safe for me,” she told them. She took off without saying goodbye. It wasn’t her thing.

She hotwired a car she found on the side of the road and drove it straight to the action. Even though there were no other drivers on the road, she bumped into several things along the way; fun fact, she was not the best driver. She thought she was the only one crazy enough to drive in the middle of the disaster, so imagine her surprise when she saw a car on the highway parallel to her several meters away. Astra knew someone important was inside the car by the fact that the Diamond Weapon daemon was chasing it, albeit at a slow pace due to its large nature but its ranged weapons got close enough to risk the livelihood of all inside the car.

Astra found a bridge that got her close enough to the parallel highway. She could handle the rest. She turned the car violently and hit the pedal, accelerating to the car’s full speed. The car pushed past the highway’s borders and flew into the air. Astra slipped out the car through the window and threw her sword far towards the highway. She timed it perfectly so when she warped to her sword she’d land directly on top of the car, and she did. Upon landing on top of the car, Astra could hear a woman and man scream at her thunderous appearance. Seeing the window was rolled down in the back, she threw in her sword and warped in. She prepared for an assault but felt an immense sense of relief when she saw Luna and a familiar Kingsglaive she once fought alongside on the frontlines, Libertus.

“What the— You don’t just warp into a driving car in the middle of a fight!” yelled Libertus.

“You weren’t gonna slow down!” Astra yelled back.

“Astra,” said Luna, gently. She sat in the front beside Libertus, but her entire body was turned to look at Astra as she gently touched her arm. Astra could see Luna struggling to get the words out.

“I know,” said Astra. Even Libertus’ eyes lingered on her. “I felt it. I blessed him. A while back.” Astra couldn't stop talking, but she also couldn’t find what else to say. It felt as though all the feelings she’d been pushing back would come pouring in like a waterfall. She coughed, “Tell me you have the ring.”

Luna raised her opened hand where the ring lay. She held it out to Astra, but Astra shook her head. “No, it’s safer with you,” said Astra. The daemonic screeching sounded louder than ever, making everyone turn to look. “Eyes on the road,” she told Libertus. But Astra’s eyes remained on the Diamond daemon. It was looking up, and that sight was almost too good to be true. It wasn’t just one statue of the Old Kings that had come to life, it was all the statues of the Old Kings that were inside Insomnia. They had warped atop the empire’s airships and were destroying them. Nifleheim did release more Diamond-level daemons, but they were all being taken care of.

“Not something you see everyday, huh?” Libertus couldn’t help himself even in the middle of all that. 

“Where’s Nyx?” asked Astra.

“Always where the action is.”

That was more than enough information for Astra to know what fate awaited Nyx.

“Astra, you should know who—”

“Woah!” Libertus’ exclamation interrupted whatever thought Luna intended to deliver. Entire pieces of nearby buildings that were destroyed by the Old Kings’ fight flew towards the car and onto the highway. Libertus could barely dodge them. Astra began to climb out the window.

“What are you doing?” asked Luna.

“Making sure you make it out alive,” said Astra, throwing her sword towards an incoming large piece of rubble.

Her sword pierced the rubble and she warped to it instantly. She had only a few seconds to destroy the piece of rubble, so Astra released an intense wave of fire and lightning to tear the rubble apart to countless harmless pieces. But her work wasn’t done. Several more pieces of rubble came flying towards the highway, and Astra warped to them to repeat the process. It was as she was busy clearing their path that Astra noticed an armored figure appear in the middle of the highway. Even from afar, she knew who it was: General Glauca.

The car hit General Glauca head on but it did not harm him. Instead, he began slowing it down. Astra summoned her polearm and threw it to the car. She appeared right before him and now up close, she could see that a portion of his armor had been torn away to reveal a portion of his, resembling Skrell’s tarnished armor. Without looking at Glauca’s revealed face, Astra kicked him away from the car, but he held onto the car's door on the side. Using the car, Libertus pinned him against the highway's wall, and that’s when she finally got a good look at his face. It was a face she had seen growing up. A face she had seen daily. A face she trusted. A face that stood at her father’s side. It was Drautos.

Fury fueled her entire body. Her blood boiled, waking up every part of her mind. Drautos watched Astra come to the realization and smiled even as his armor was slowly scraping off. Using her shock to his advantage, Drautos dislodged his sword and swung at Astra, sending her flying off the car. She rolled on the ground repeatedly as the car continued driving. She tried getting back up but she immediately fell back to her knees. She popped out a potion and drank it; she didn’t even check what it was but convinced herself that it made her feel instantly better.

A statue of an Old King warped ahead of the car beside the highway and raised its sword. For a moment, she feared that it was about the strike down the car, but she saw how it instead cut a portion of the highway away. Miraculously, the car made it across without Drautos. The Old King stood between Drautos and the car, not allowing him to pass through. Even with the Diamond daemon behind her and ready to strike, Astra was ready to throw her sword straight into Drautos’ head until a voice called out to her.

“Astra!” A familiar voice yelled out.

Astra looked up at the Old King’s shoulder and found Nyx standing on it. He had seen better days. He didn’t move from his location, and Astra didn’t dare move from hers. But, she could guess what he wanted to say. She took a step forward, just a single step. And Nyx shook his head. She held onto her sword as tight as she could to the point she felt its shape burn into her palm. Then, instead of throwing her sword into Drautos’ head, she threw it past him and left the fight to Nyx.

She hated it. She hated it with every part of being. She knew that it was Drautos' fault her father was dead. She knew that it was his sword that pierced his body. Astra warped to the car that remained still, waiting for her. Libertus was already in the driver's seat, ready to take off with Luna sitting beside him. She stood beside Luna's door and only looked ahead.

"Did he know it was him?" Astra asked Luna.

Luna remained silent for a moment, "No."

Astra didn't know if she was relieved to hear that her father didn't know that his trusted military advisor was also his enemy and murderer. She didn't know what to feel, and quite honestly, she felt too tired to try to figure it out. So she shoved it down like she always did and carried on with her mission.

Chapter Text

The closer they got to the city’s gate, the less pieces of buildings came flying at the. It seemed Nyx had properly diverted Drautos’ attention to him and kept the fight in the already ruined parts of the city. Nyx was good like that; even when he made reckless moves that endangered his own life, he always made sure those around him wouldn’t be swept away with him. When no more rubble came towards the car, Astra remained sitting on top of it with her sword latched into the car’s roof without looking back. She couldn’t work the courage to. But she saw how light slowly stretched over Insomnia’s walls and warmed her body from behind. The sun was rising.

No one spoke once they had arrived at the city’s gates. Astra could see civilians already pouring out to escape Insomnia’s walls; she could only hope Iris was among them. Luna exited the car and looked back to the city in silence. Finally, Astra also turned and beheld her beloved city in ruins under the morning sun’s light. Buildings that were once visible from the borders of the city were nowhere in sight. Smoke and fire arose from all over the city. And in the center still stood the Citadel.

“We should move,” said Libertus with a sniffle. “It ain’t safe here either.”

Luna caressed the ring in her hands, still looking back to the city.

“Hey, don’t worry about Nyx…He can take care of himself.”

There was no way Libertus didn’t know what fate had befallen Nyx. Somehow, Astra had felt his soul find peace when the sun fully rose into view and the power he held return to the ring. Luna turned to Libertus and shook her head. “We must part ways here,” she said in her gentle voice. “I could hardly travel in secret with so great a hero. And I, too, have a promise to keep to Nyx.”

Luna’s smile was gentle and comforting. It truly made Astra think things would get better. That there was hope. Must’ve been the power of the Oracle, the Astrals’ maiden. “I pray you two meet again,” Luna told Libertus.

“Yeah, me too,” said Libertus, barely holding back his tears.

“I assume that means I don’t get an invite either,” said Astra, finally getting off the top of the car. Luna turned and nodded, but Astra was still looking at the city.

“You wouldn’t have joined me either way,” said Luna. “I know you.”

Astra bit the inside of her mouth and turned to look at her, “I can’t just leave him like that.” Both knew who “he” was. She stood next to Luna and pointed to the caravan of civilians exiting the city. “Join them as far as they’ll take you. It’s dangerous to be alone. If you can, look for Iris Amicitia. Or Monica Elshett. Or even Dustin Ackers—” She was rambling again. “If I...If I...If you see him before I do.”

“I’ll tell him,” said Luna, helping her finish her thought. “Thank you. Both of you.” Luna gave Astra a small bow and then walked towards the exiting civilians and the city gate. Libertus propped himself on the car, probably tired due to his injured leg.

“Hey, queen!” Libertus called out to Luna who was far off, but she still turned to look. “You and the king are always welcome in Galahd.” Luna nodded and returned to her path. Meanwhile Libertus turned back to gaze upon the ruined city. He stole glances at Astra who looked down at her feet. To wake herself up, Astra hit her chest and cracked her neck.

“Hop on in. I’ll take you—”

“It’s fine,” Astra interrupted Libertus. “I’ll take the scenic route.”

Libertus forced a smile, “That’s twice I’ve been rejected.”

“I know. Must hurt your ego, I’m sure.”

They shared a small laugh that lasted no more than a few seconds and returned to their forlorn nature. “Take care, Libertus.” With that said, Astra turned around and began walking down the highway back into the center of her city. As he watched her disappear into the horizon, Libertus pushed aside the pain in his leg and stood upright on the ground, raising his closed fist to his chest as a salute to Astra's disappearing figure.

Her legs were so, so tired. At first they were numb, but now her feet burned with every step she took. It took her several attempts to find a working car she could hotwire.  She’d be able to arrive at the Citadel even with her eyes closed, and she was tempted to prove herself right. However, there were still some of the empire’s forces inside the city, but Astra was careful to avoid them. She couldn’t handle another fight. She could barely hold herself awake. 

Astra arrived at the Citadel and even parked the car in the front. She walked through the front doors without a weapon in hand and dragged her body throughout the building. With every step she got closer to the treaty room, she felt as though her body became heavier and heavier. Maybe she wouldn’t make it. Couldn’t say she cared. She was just tired and wanted everything to stop. The ringing in her ears, the throbbing in her head. Everything. 

Before the treaty room’s entrance stood a familiar man with several others. They each wore a Crownsguard uniform, and they were each just as dirty as Astra. Everyone’s eyes were on her, but they didn’t dare approach her. Only the familiar man did.

“Your Highness,” he called out to her, but she didn’t answer. She didn’t even look at him. “Astra,” he said quietly. She finally met his eyes. His name was Cor Leonis, Marshall of the Crownsguard and her father’s friend. Just like Drautos, he had served by his side for years. Just like Drautos, he had watched her and her brother grow. And just like Drautos, she trusted him. But the night had been cruel to Astra, and trust did not carry the same weight as before.

“Cor,” she called out, digging her nails into her palm. “Can I trust you?”

It was a dumb question, but Astra didn’t want to fight. She couldn’t.

“Cor. Tell me I can trust you.” Her echoing words didn’t come out as a command, but as a plea. “Please.”

Cor slowly approached Astra, making sure his hands were always visible. Astra didn’t stop him but kept her eyes on him. He pulled her into a hug. It was warm and comforting. Most of all, trustworthy. She couldn’t muster up the courage to hug back even though she wanted to. But, it was okay; Cor knew. He let go of her and wiped some dirt off her face. It didn’t do much, but it was the thought that mattered. She walked into the treaty room where several Crownsguards were scattered all over the room. One came up to Cor who was right behind her, handing him something small wrapped in white cloth. Dry blood soaked through. Astra took it from Cor and unwrapped it, proving her thoughts to be true. It was a severed hand. A wrinkled hand she could recognize with her own.

She held it close to her and continued walking. At the furthest wall, there was a small opening which served as a secret passage that led to the garage. The Crownsguard had placed a ladder to replace the flattened elevator that rested at the bottom of the passage. But right before entering the passage, Astra found a figure covered with cloth on the ground.

"Is that…." Astra couldn't even find the strength to finish her sentence. But Cor nodded either way. All Astra could do was offer a small prayer and hope Gladio and Iris were okay wherever they were. Cor held out a hand to help her lower herself into the passage, but Astra simply stepped off the floor and let herself fall, warping to the bottom of the passage to avoid hurting herself.

There was a room before leading to the garage. Astra had forgotten about it. In the middle, there was a large figure covered by a large cloth on the ground. She recognized his shoes; his feet weren’t covered. She held on tightly to the severed hand as if it could still provide some sort of comfort. But, it was too cold for that. Astra wondered if he was cold too. She knelt down beside the body and uncovered just enough to see his face. His eyes were closed; he looked like he was resting and would get up any moment. But, Astra couldn’t remember the last time she saw him rest. 

He was always pale, but he seemed even whiter now. Maybe it was the light. Hidden underneath the cover, Astra could see red. She moved the cover to show more even though she shouldn’t have, and that’s what broke her. Her father had landed on his chest, meaning he had been stabbed in the back. Drautos stabbed him in the back. Her hand hovered over his wound and blood-soaked clothes. Her breath faltered and small cries left her mouth. She rested her head on his back and could still smell the cologne she had gifted him for his birthday. She tried to muffle her cries and screams on his back, but it didn’t make much of a difference. Her cries echoed throughout the entire room and even ran up to the treaty room. No one said a word, and no one moved.

Cor placed a hand on her shoulder, and she raised her head. Men came with a stretcher and gently placed her father on it. She sat still on her knees, watching her father be carried out the room. In silence, she wiped her tears and stood back on her feet.

“Come on,” said Cor. “Niffs are closing down the city, so we gotta hurry and get out.”

Cor gently held onto Astra’s wrist and began to walk away but stopped when he felt Astra not move. “I can’t go, Cor. Not yet,” she said with a sigh.

“What!? You are the Lucian princess. King Regis’ firstborn. You are the empire’s number one enemy as of now—”

“No, I’m not. I may have been his firstborn, but I wasn’t his heir. They’ll be after Noctis,” said Astra walking up to Cor. “And I can slow them down while you find him. And keep him safe.”

“Astra, you’re a fighter, but there’s not much more fighting you can do in your state.”

“There’s more than one way to slow them down.” Astra sucked in her breath. “I’ll meet you on the outside. Eventually.”

Cor ruffled the hair on his head violently. “There’s no point in trying to convince you otherwise, so you better keep your end of the deal.”

“I’ll see you on the other side,” said Astra.

She remained in the room as everyone else cleared out. It was just her and her thoughts alone. She tried avoiding the spot of blood still gathered in the middle of the floor and walked back to the passage that led up to the treaty room. It was also empty; everyone had cleared out from probably the entire city. The remaining Crownsguard could do more outside than inside the city. She wandered around the Citadel. She passed through the throne room and passed through the dining room. Her heart hurt more and more with every room she entered.

She passed through countless rooms and recalled countless memories. She eventually made it to their rooms. She started with hers. Surprisingly, it looked entirely untouched. Every paper on her desk laid exactly where she had left it. Even the shoes she had left out from her closet remained beside her bed. She passed her hand over the books she had shelved, and slowly watched them burn from the magical fire she lit with her hand. Setting things on fire was easy, it was watching them burn that was hard. She made sure her room’s office was engulfed in flames, making sure not a single paper would be able to make it out unscathed. If Astra could take everything she held dear that remained in her room, she would, but they’d be a liability on the road. She stole one last look to the starry ceiling she loved looking up at every night then left. Once again, what she loved she had to let go.

Astra next went to Noctis’ room. There wasn’t much there. He had cleared out his apartment in the city before leaving and kept a scarce amount of belongings. Besides, Noctis’ old room wasn’t fit to house a married couple and so the room was bare, containing only the traditional necessities. Astra found a framed photo on his bedside table. It was of Prompto, Noctis, Gladio, and Ignis. She took the photo and left the frame. She started the fire and left.

It was hard even opening the door to her father’s room. Astra had never even entered, but she couldn’t remember why. His room was quiet and peaceful. Upon entering, Astra found that there was no office or library inside his room. It was just a lounge area and the bed. His room had no decor or personal effect. His ceiling wasn’t even decorated the way her and Noctis’ rooms were. But unlike Noctis and Astra’s room, there was a pair of doors. She opened the doors and there, she found the office. 

Astra glanced over the books he shelved all over his walls. Half of them were titles she had never heard before. Some on politics. Some on history. She stood behind his desk and sat in his chair. It was big. Her feet barely touched the ground. Astra could tell it had been made for the King Regis who was in his prime. Hey eyes scanned over the papers he had on his desk. It was neatly organized unlike her own desk. But her attention was caught by a small box decorated with a blue ribbon: a gift. She took it into her hands and opened it to reveal a simple necklace with a deep ruby stone complimented with a beautiful sapphire stone. The necklace was simple but eye-catching; inside there was a note Astra left the necklace for. She instantly recognized the penmanship.

To the star of my eyes,

Astra, you have been a kind child since you were young. Always steadfast and brave. And as you grew, so did your character. There was no doubt that you were your father’s daughter. But that always caused me more worry than joy. Because if you were anything like me, you’d search for the truth, and you’d do anything to protect Noctis. And you did.

I will never be able to apologize enough to make up for the fact that you were robbed of a normal life. What little you had, you sacrificed. You achieved things I could never imagine doing myself and made both this king and country proud. You have always been my haven in troubling times, and I apologize I could never do the same for you. Only now do I realize how I had never gifted my one and only daughter any jewelry. I ask that you bear with this ignorant father of yours and accept this gift. 

I fear the remainder of my time is short. I grow weaker everyday, and I sense Niflheim ready to make their move. I pray to the gods for your safety and happiness. Forgive me, my morning star. I love you.

Astra's vision blurred due to the tears t hat wouldn't stop coming out. She thought she had gotten every tear out earlier at her father's body, but she always found new ways to surprise herself. She pulled herself away from the desk and looked up to force the tears away, but what she saw only broke her heart even more. Above the door and directly in the line of sight from the desk, there was a portrait of Noctis and Luna as children. Her hair had no grey, and Noctis still had that shine in his eyes. How time had changed them.

Struggling to even open her eyes from all the tears, Astra's nose picked up a smoky smell. She  wiped her tears with her hand and turned to see the office on fire. Her father had always advised her to take control of her emotions due to how closely tied her magic was to her emotions. His words of advice echoed throughout her mind as she desperately tried to stop the flames, but it was for naught. She looked at her hands and noticed even the loving letter her father wrote was on fire. She gained control of her fire, but it was too late. The letter was gone.

"No! Please. No." She cried in a defeated tone, holding onto the ashes of the letter. She wrapped her arms around herself. Even if the room was on fire, she felt so cold. The tears wouldn't stop, and the throbbing in her head persistently continued to beat her. "I can't- I can't...It's not fair!"

The flames wouldn't stop. It only grew more wild as it consumed everything in the office. She  took the necklace before the fire could steal that from her too. Pushing the doors open with her back, she walked back into the bedroom and watched as the fire mercilessly raged and consumed even the doors. Astra left the bedroom and left the Citadel altogether. There was nothing else she could do. There was nothing left for her there.

Chapter Text

“About the king...it’s true,” said Cor over the phone.

It had only been a few days since Noctis last saw his sister and father. They looked like they always did, tall and sure of themselves. Noctis didn’t know. How could he? No, he should have. He had noticed the way they spoke to him before he left— the way they looked at him. For heaven’s sake, Astra had given him a blessing before he left. They were practically spelling it out for him, but he brushed it off like he always did.

Noctis stood on a cliff overlooking Insomnia with Prompto, Ignis, and Gladio. From there, they could see imperial forces enter the city through their magitek engines; they had blockaded the only way in and out of the city. And now, everyone he loved was gone. The empire reported his father, Astra, Luna, and even himself as dead. Unfortunately for them, he was very much alive and very angry. He had held out hope for his loved ones when he knew that the empire thought he was dead, but Cor’s call punched that hope out of him. And he knew that if his father was dead so was Astra. She was always at his side. He imagined them together, fighting side-by-side and then falling in battle, but he quickly rid the image from his mind.

“I’m heading out to Hammerhead,” continued Cor over the phone. “If you’re looking for the full truth, you know where to find me.”

With that said, Cor hung up. He didn’t tell Noctis anything about Astra. Not even about meeting her at the Citadel and her staying behind. Cor didn’t want to give Noctis hope because hope was always a double-edged sword. Ignis came up behind Noctis quietly so as to not alarm him.

“What did the Marshal have to say?” asked Ignis.

“Said he’d be at Hammerhead,” answered Noctis without looking away from his ruined city.

“And the king?” asked Gladio, but Noctis remained quiet. “Astra?”

Still no response, and they all knew what that meant. All of their hearts dropped. It hurt to hear that the king was dead, but Astra? They had all watched her grow up. She had been such a big part of their lives, and now she was gone.

The walk to the car was quiet. They were all still processing everything that had happened. Noctis found it ironic that it was raining. He hated getting wet even if he loved fishing. It was only when they were in the car where the questions began pouring in.

“Don’t suppose the Crownsguard is still active,” said Gladio.

“Not with the Marshal out here. I doubt so,” answered Ignis behind the steering wheel.

“I wonder what it’s like inside the city,” added Prompto.

“There should be a report before long.”

“And what about us?”

There was silence that lasted for a moment. It was as if everyone knew the question meant something more.

“We head to Hammerhead. Figure the rest out there,” answered Gladio. He looked down to his phone and smiled lightly. “Got a message from Iris. She’s with refugees headed to Lestallum—”

Gladio cut himself off, making everyone look. He wasn’t the type to start something and not finish it. Ignis looked at him through the rearview mirror. “What is it?” asked Ignis. But Gladio looked away with a guilty face. “Not sure you’ve noticed, but now is not the time to withhold information.”

Gladio ruffled his hair, a habit he had whenever he felt stressed or happy. It was not the latter. “It’s Iris... She says Astra escorted her through the city but stayed behind,” he said.

No one said anything. They didn’t want to. But, Noctis scoffed, looking out the window, “Of course she did.”

“It’s good that Iris is okay,” said Ignis, breaking the tension. “But we best hurry. Noct won’t be dead forever. No turning back.”

“Only way is forward,” muttered Prompto.

The ride to Hammerhead felt longer this time around. No one said much. There was no music and no jokes. The sound of the rain hitting the car was loud enough to fill the silence but not enough to drown out their thoughts. When they first arrived at Hammerhead, they were greeted by a cheerful Cindy, but this time around, she looked solemn as they pulled into the parking area.

“Where’s Cor?” asked Noctis to Cindy as soon as he exited the car.

“Said there was some business he had to handle, but he left y’all a message with Pawpaw,” she answered in her southern accent.

Noctis didn’t waste a moment standing around. He went to the garage where Cid, Cindy”Pawpaw,” could always be found. Cid was inside, sitting down and looking worse for wear. There was a framed picture and a few empty bottles next to it. It was known that Cid and Noctis’ father had a falling out some time ago, but it appeared Cid still cared deeply for his old friend.

“The Crystal and kin’s ring….they finally got what they were after all these years,” said Cid in a defeated tone.

“So all talk of peace was simply a ploy,” muttered Ignis.

Noctis could barely hold himself together, “They played my father for a fool.”

“Don’t kid yourself. Reggie wasn’t born yesterday. Lucis got dealt a losing hand, and your old man played it the best he could. He saw this coming a mile away, and he wasn’t gonna go down without a fight,” noted Cid, picking up a wrench that lay beside him. “Even your big sister did.”

“Astra...knew?” asked Prompto.

“Of course she did. That kid was always next Reggie. Didn't know her too well, but I could tell not much could get past her.” Cid spared a small laugh but returned back to his sorry state. “But in the end—well...it just wasn’t enough.” He returned the wrench back to its place beside the framed photo, and that’s when Noctis noticed it was a photo of his father, Cid, Cor, and Clarus. 

“Feels like a lifetime since I last saw Reggie. Can’t even remember when.” Cid stood up and began walking out the garage. Noctis followed him outside. The sun was setting; if he wanted to meet Cor before nightfall, they’d have to move soon. “Cor said he’d meet ya at the tombs just northwest of here. Short ways past the outpost. Find that one first.”

Noctis was ready to run straight to the car, but Cid held him back with his frail hand.

“Sun’s setting, boy. Rest here and leave in the morning,” said Cid, shaking his head. “It’s on the house.”

Before he could open his mouth to refuse the offer, Noctis was interrupted by Ignis. “We’d very much appreciate that. Thank you,” said Ignis. Cid left the four, and Noctis turned to Ignis, ready to release his pent up anger. “This might be the last time we can get any decent rest. We’d be wise not to refuse the offer.”

He was right. Noctis hated it when Ignis was right because it usually meant he was wrong. They rested that night in a small RV trailer parked in Hammerhead. It was shabby and worn down, but more than they needed and deserved from Noctis’ point of view. Unlike his usual self, Prompto was quiet for the rest of the night. He spent his time passing through the pictures he had in his camera, sniffling every now and then with red eyes; he had asked Ignis for some pain relievers saying his head was throbbing and then went to bed before anyone else. But, no matter how much Noctis tried, he couldn’t fall asleep. The faces of both Astra and his father haunted him every time he closed his eyes. He would have preferred if they appeared with a scornful face, but he could only picture them happy. He didn’t get much sleep that night, and after seeing the rest of his friends the following morning, Noctis knew he wasn’t the only one.

“We should probably head to the tombs,” Ignis told Noctis as Cindy refueled the car. “We don’t know how much longer the Marshal will wait for us.”

The four rested their heavy bodies into the car’s seats. Cid didn’t see them off; Cindy said it was nothing personal. After waving goodbye to Cindy, they were back on the road. Noctis tried getting some shut-eye on the way there, but the sun was unbearably bright that day. Getting to the outpost near the tombs took them most of the day. On the way, they conversed over small things like the weather and the passing wildlife. They didn’t mention anything about Niflheim or Lucis because once they started, it would be difficult to stop. Maybe this is what it meant when people said "boys will be boys." 

Although some remaining Crownsguard were supposed to be there, the outpost looked old and worn down. At first, they thought it was abandoned, and that’s how they knew it was the perfect spot to lay low. The wearied sign outside read PRAIRIE OUTPOST in dull large letters. Noctis noticed that there were more hunters, men and women dedicated to keeping the outlands safe, than Crownsguards; he tried not to wonder why. Inside, they were greeted by Monica Elshett in a dusty shack. One could see her visible injuries one step away from being completely healed. 

“Your Highness, I’m glad you’re safe,” said Monica as she knelt before Noctis.

“Monica, where are all the others?” asked Gladio.

Monica’s eyes darkened. “Most didn’t make it. It was all we could do to ensure Lady Iris made it out of the city.” She looked at Noctis. “We wouldn’t have been able to make it without Princess Astra.”

Noctis grinded his teeth at the sound of her name.

“Dustin is with Iris as we speak, ensuring her safe passage to Lestallum,” continued Monica. “I remained behind to help guide the remaining refugees who passed by.”

“I owe you guys big time,” said Gladio.

“The Marshal is waiting for you at the tombs,” she said, turning her attention to Noctis. He was already leaving the shack when Monica spoke to him one last time. “Your Highness...she fought honorably.”

Without turning around, Noctis had stopped to listen to her but wished he had just ignored her. He was tired of hearing about her. The tombs were a walking distance away. Noctis and his retinue met with some daemons along the way, but it was nothing he couldn’t handle. In fact, he was happy they had crossed paths since he was finally able to hit something and pretend even for a moment that there was nothing else that mattered. 

The tomb was built on the side of a mountain; it was probably originally a cave. It had two ornate guarding statues on boths sides of the door. The architecture was definitely Lucian. Noctis pushed the heavy, cold door open to reveal a dark interior. It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust and see the Cor standing inside beside a centered sculpture of a past king laying on an altar with his weapon in hand.

"Marshal," greeted Ignis.

"At last, Your Highness," said Cor to Noctis who somehow remained his usual indifferent self.

"Wanna tell me what I'm here for?" Asked Noctis.

"The power of kings is passed through the bonding of souls from one to another. Such a soul lies before you," said Cor, motioning to the centered sculpture. "It is your birthright and duty as king to claim your forebears' power."

"King? King of what?" Asked Noctis through his teeth. Everyone in the room tensed up.

"Now is not the time to question your calling," continued Cor, ignoring Noctis' remark. "As king, you are sworn to protect your people-"

"And yet he chose to save one prince! Was that his calling? Forsake the masses and even sacrifice his own daughter for his prodigal son!?" 

"How long will you remain protected!? The king entrusted the role of protector to you."

"Entrusted?" Noctis scoffed. "Then why didn't he tell me that! Why did they both just stand there smiling as I-" Noctis didn't want to say anymore. He was never one to reveal his emotions so  openly, and he didn't feel like changing that now. He bit his lip and held his tongue even if he tasted blood.

"Why did he lie to me? Why didn't they trust me?" Noctis could only find blame in himself.

“That day...he didn’t want you to remember him as king. In the little time he had left, he wanted to be your father. And Astra?” Cor gently smiled. “Astra always believed in you. Her blessing is proof of that.”

Noctis held a hand to his chest. When Astra blessed him, he felt a new warmth in his body travel from his hand to the center of his being. Even now, in the cold tomb, he could still feel that warmth. “Guess they left me no choice, huh,” said Noctis, standing straight. He held out his hand above the old king’s sculpture. Activating one’s magical abilities were always reliant on the emotion one had; Noctis used whatever he was feeling then. The sword in the sculpture’s hand began to glow white, and after slipping out of its hand, it floated above it. Noctis felt the warmth of the light as the sword floated mere inches away from his hand, but it moved past his hand and hovered in the center of the room. Without warning, the sword flew into Noctis’ chest. He could feel a new power enter him; it didn’t hurt. Instead, it felt strong and warm. 

“The power of kings goes with you,” said Cor. “ Your Majesty .”

Noctis didn’t like being called that. It only made him think of his father.

“That is only one of the many powers your forebears left for you. Another tomb lies close by. I will go with you for the time being not only to help but also measure your strength,” said Cor to Noctis. “I suggest we leave soon.”

Cor led the way to the next tomb. On the way, he spoke some more on the tombs. According to him, there were various tombs scattered throughout the land: 13 in total. But, they only knew the location of a few. Cor had joined hands with the hunters to find the location of the remaining; it appeared it didn’t matter whether one was Crownsguard or Hunter. They were all in the same boat now, and it was sinking.

Noctis and his entourage encountered some daemons along the way. Once again, Noctis released his anger upon them and even tried out his newfound power. Essentially, it was just a sword, but in Noctis’ hands it held immense power. With it, he was able to make quick work of the daemons who crossed his path but also found himself tired. Cor warned him that using that power often would have consequences on his health, and so Noctis found it was better for him to put it away until later when it was direly needed.

“Empire!” yelled Prompto, looking ahead.

They all took cover behind some rocks. Blocking the entrance path to the tomb, the empire had dropped a few soldiers and a small mecha.  It was already dark out which meant the empire would have the advantage; they were somehow able to see in the dark clearly unlike humans. 

“We can take them head on or sneak up from behind. The choice is yours,” said Cor to Noctis.

But Noctis had already warped to his sword which was stuck inside the head of a magitek soldier. Everyone left their rocks and joined the fight. It was over within a matter of minutes. Noctis couldn’t lie; Cor did most of the heavy-lifting such as incapacitating the mecha so that Noctis could deliver the killing blow. After defeating the empire’s forces, they entered the small entrance to the tomb’s tunnels.

“This is where we go our separate ways. Take this key.” Cor tossed Noctis a key. “It unlocks the other tombs. Seek them out and claim their power. You’ll need it.”

Noctis held the key tightly, afraid it would somehow slip past his fingers. “What about you?”

“Someone’s got to keep an eye on the Niffs. Find out what they’re up to. But you focus on your own task.”

There was no emotional goodbye. After saying his piece, Cor left. Noctis turned to look at the dark tunnel that awaited him. He could feel the cold air brush past him and call him forth. It sent shivers down his spine.

“Well, here we go,” said Gladio.

Noctis stood in place, staring down the tunnel’s dark entrance. He wasn’t afraid, but he felt as though once he went in, there was no turning back. He knew that things would change— that he would never be able to recall his memories the same way. And instead of the thought making his heart quiver, it made it sick and strained. He put the key away and entered the tunnel followed by the rest of his friends, letting their bodies be consumed by what seemed to be infinite darkness.

Chapter Text

After searching the second tomb, Noctis was now in possession of two Royal Arms, power only kings of Lucis were capable of holding. It made him feel stronger physically, but Noctis felt like it was a power meant for someone else. Someone like Astra. It had been a few days, and he still couldn’t believe she was gone. It appeared that the rest of his friends felt the same and thought that maybe if they didn’t talk about it then maybe— just maybe— they could live their days as if it hadn’t happened at all.

Noctis had spent the past few days helping almost anyone that he came across. First, it was Monica and Cor who needed help getting rid of a blockade the empire had set up. Accompanied by Monica, Cor left almost immediately after to return to watching over the empire. Shortly after, Noctis received a personal call from Iris. She bombarded him with questions about his well-being; it was only then that he remembered he too was dead to the rest of the world. They were to meet her at Lestallum, but Noctis couldn’t find himself quite ready to leave just yet. Maybe this time, he really was afraid.

Fortunately for him, Noctis was able to find enough excuses to delay the trip to Lestallum. The land was always plagued by daemons; he would take up bounties and collect the rewards to make it worthwhile. He searched for materials for Cid so that he could upgrade Noctis’ weapons and car. Noctis even went as far as to take odd jobs from people he met on the side of the road. It didn’t matter if it was a broken car or a Hunter’s missing dog tag; Noctis helped them all. And although he recognized he was helping people and doing good, he felt guilty that he was only doing so to avoid other things.

In his need to go anywhere else but where he needed to go, Noctis went back to where he started: Hammerhead. It hadn’t changed at all, but then again, it had only been a few days. It’d be more surprising if it had changed, but Noctis no longer knew what to expect. His father and sister were alive only a matter of days ago and now...Now, things were different.

“I was expecting to see y’all again but not so soon,” said Cindy as the boys left their car.

“If you say it like that, it’ll sound like you didn’t want us back so soon,” joked Gladio.

Cindy shook her, “Naw. We could use a hand around here.”

“Daemons?” asked Ignis.

“Is it ever anything else?” asked Noctis.

“Actually, it’s the empire,” said Cindy. “There’s been more and more of the metal heads around these parts. It looks like they’re looking for something.”
“Or someone,” added Prompto, looking at Noctis.

Ignis held his chin out of habit, indicating his state of deep thinking. “Had the empire truly been looking for Noctis, they’d focus their search around the Prairie Outpost where we destroyed their blockade.” Everyone knew what Ignis meant. There was something else around Hammerhead that the empire wanted, and no matter what it was, it didn’t mean any sort of good news for Noctis and his friends.

“You’re not trying to say we should leave, are you?” Gladio asked Ignis.

“They’re searching, meaning there stands a greater chance of them finding Noctis and informing their High Command of his breathing status,” reasoned Ignis.

“But they still pose a danger to everyone here in Hammerhead,” argued Prompto.

“Alas. But, in the end, deciding what to do isn’t up to us.”

The boys and Cindy turned to look at Noctis. Out of a mix of a need for revenge and curiosity, Noctis nodded his head, “We should check them out at least. See what we can find.” It wasn’t a plan Ignis liked, but it wasn’t something he could refuse either.

“Very well. I’ll speak with the Marshal. See if he knows anything,” said Ignis before leaving to make his call.

“Thanks a bunch! Now why don’t y’all hop down to the diner? There’s a new dish that might suit your taste,” winked Cindy.

Because he was hungry, Noctis followed Cindy’s advice. Gladio joined him, but he saw Prompto break off from them to follow Cindy. Noctis didn’t try to figure out why. He just hoped that maybe Cindy would be able to cheer Prompto up since he had been acting differently since a few days ago. Noctis had expected Ignis to walk into the diner after being on the call with Cor for only a few minutes, but it lasted longer than he had expected. The boys had arrived at Hammerhead around evening, but Ignis only finished his call once the sun had set. Ignis walked into the RV trailer parked beside Hammerhead’s diner. It wasn’t their first time staying there; by now, it felt like Noctis’ second home after the Regalia. 

“What was all that about?” Noctis asked Ignis as he sat outside the trailer.

“The Marshal had several updates to inform me of. Locations to avoid, empire outposts to destroy. I made a list,” answered Ignis, handing Noctis a sheet of paper with the location's names. “We can cross them off on our way to Lestallum.”

Ignis had a special skill where he would passively push Noctis to do what Ignis wanted. Ignis along with Gladio thought it was about time they all began their journey to Lestallum. Noctis knew that Gladio missed his sister. And yes. Avoiding heading to Lestallum was selfish of Noctis, and it probably pissed Gladio off that he couldn’t see his sister. But Noctis excused his actions, knowing that Iris was safe and able to communicate with them over the phone.

“What did Cor say about the empire’s search?” asked Prompto, drying off his wet hair from his shower.

“He had received reports of the empire’s increased activity, but seeing how Hammerhead is the nearest outpost to Insomnia, it could be assumed that they were simply trying to expand their imperial reach,” answered Ignis.

“Makes sense,” agreed Gladio.

“I still want to check it out. We’ll go in, figure out what we can, and make it seem like neither us or they were ever there,” said Noctis.

“Then we head to Lestallum?” asked Gladio.

Noctis fiddled with the key in his pocket, “Yeah. Then we go to Lestallum.”

The boys left the morning after. They stocked up before leaving for the long trip ahead of them. Noctis could see the joyful anticipation in Gladio’s eyes that appeared overnight. He was even jealous of it. Ignis drove them to a set of coordinates Cindy gave them, saying it was the hub of the empire’s recent search. She was very right. Noctis could see the magitek engines from afar, making Ignis park far from the place they originally planned to. 

“That’s a pretty big search party,” said Prompto as they unloaded the car.

“Makes you wonder what’s worth all this attention,” wondered Gladio.

“Not sure I even want to find out.”

Noctis summoned his sword into his hand. It was a sword, titled the “Engine Blade”, gifted to him for his 16th birthday. He looked at it for a moment too long and thought about his father. King Regis was the one who gifted it to him.

“What’s the plan, Noct?” asked Ignis.

Noctis analyzed the entire field, “We take out the soldier, but save the mecha for last. It should be manned by a person. That’s how we’ll find out what they’re searching for.”

“You just might make a fine king,” teased Ignis with a smile.

Then, it was time for the action. Although being able to warp straight into the hub of the empire’s soldiers, Noctis didn’t. The rest of his friends weren’t capable of warping and would have to fight their way in to meet him which would take a while, meaning Noctis would end up surrounded by the empire’s forces. It was a situation Ignis constantly warned Noctis about. Thus, Noctis worked his way into the hub with the rest of his retinue. 

Noctis had to admit. He might have walked into a situation that was more than they could handle. Luckily for them, they had potions on hand, but potions don’t create skill or back-up. And those were two things Noctis found himself needing. It was difficult, to say the least, handling the foot soldiers while being shot at by countless others, including the mecha.

Noctis didn’t keep track of the time he spent destroying the empire’s forces. But in the end, it was worth it. All that was left was the mecha, and somehow Noctis recognized the pilot. It was Loqi, a general in Nifleheim’s empire. They had encountered him before when they took down a blockade with Cor; he also piloted a mecha. It seemed Loqi was fond of them.

Because they had already fought several mecha’s, they knew its weak spots. It was even easier to take it down since they also remembered Loqi’s strategies. This time, they didn’t need Cor to take them down. They had gotten stronger since then. With the mecha pinned to the ground, Gladio climbed on top and pulled Loqi out. Gladio held his sword to his neck, just close enough to scare him.

“What are the Niffs searching for?” yelled Gladio to Loqi.

But the general remained quiet even if his fear was written on his face. He raised his arm and pressed his wrist. They didn’t think much of it until a few seconds later when a magitek engine appeared above them. 

“There’s a button on his wrist!” pointed out Prompto.

The magitek engine opened its doors and let several magitek soldiers drop. Noctis, Gladio, Ignis, and Prompto jumped back and away from Loqi. They prepared for an attack but found that they were only there to take Loqi back. Noctis was ready to jump at them, but Ignis held him back. They watched as the magitek engine lowered itself low enough so that Loqi could board, and then it flew away.

“What the hell was that about?” Noctis turned to Ignis, shaking his hand off his shoulder.

“He didn’t recognize you. We are all already worn from the fight, and the general would only continue calling for backup. Meaning you’d reveal your identity not only to him but all of the empire’s forces,” explained Ignis. “The only way we are able to move this freely and safely is because they think you are dead.”

Gladio shook his head, “We should have never come here.”

Noctis dismissed his sword but said nothing. He walked back to the car without waiting for the others. This time around, Ignis didn’t need to ask where their next stop would be. They just needed to get as close to Lestallum before nightfall. They were able to get to Duscae, the land right before Lestallum, famous for its wetlands. They made camp near the forest since they were too far from a lodging area. 

Somehow, Noctis was able to sleep properly for the first time in a while. He even dreamt of the days of his youth, but when he woke up, he felt guilty and alone. The day was bright, and the birds were singing. Maybe the gods were celebrating Noctis' giving up and giving in. Ignis made breakfast, and Noctis went fishing to the nearby lake to rest his mind. Fishing was a long and slow hobby, and that's why Noctis liked it. It allowed him to think. He told the rest of the boys to leave him alone while he fished and even turned off his phone. This was probably as quiet as it would be for a while.

It was time for lunch by the time Noctis got back to the camp. Ignis was frowning more than usual.

"What happened?" Asked Noctis.

"We've all received missed calls from Cindy. Has she not contacted you?" Asked Ignis.

"Had my phone off. None of you picked up?"

"It didn't ring for long. I tried calling back but we didn't get enough bars," said Prompto.

"Something's definitely up. Cindy isn't the persistent type. Only with cars," pointed out Gladio.

Noctis turned on his phone and saw the several missed calls he had from Cindy. He saw a message too but ignored it and decided to call her instead. The call didn't go through, not enough bars. He returned to his notifications and opened the message. He could only read the first five words, creating two sentences. After that, he felt his heart stop and jump uncontrollably. His thoughts were racing along with his heart. He ran to the driver seat of the Regalia and turned on the car.

"What are you doing?" Asked Ignis.

"We're going to Hammerhead. Get in," answered Noctis.

"Noct-"

Noctis revved the car, silencing Ignis. Fortunately for Noctis, Ignis had already packed the camping materials, having expected to leave as soon as Noctis arrived either way. They boarded the car, and Noctis stepped on the pedal before they could even settle down. He didn't shy away from speeding and probably broke several traffic laws on his way to Hammerhead. Prompto tried asking Noctis the reason why they were going back to Hammerhead, but Noctis wasn't paying attention to any of them. He was in his own world. They gave up trying to catch his attention, fearing that suddenly taking him out of his thoughts would cause him to also lose control of the car.

They got to Hammerhead faster than usual even though they were further than before. Noctis didn't even bother parking the car correctly. He jumped out the car, leaving both the keys and the boys in it. Cid was already waiting for them, looking happier than usual. Noctis approached him but didn't say anything; he almost looked afraid. But Cid only smiled. 

"Cindy and her are out back taking care of some daemons. I told her to leave it to you boys but she's not much of a listener, is she?” laughed Cid.

Noctis pushed past Cid and ran past the garage to the desert land behind Hammerhead. It was just barren land with rocks. There was an abandoned shed further away, and Noctis could hear a fight from there from afar before he could see it. He was running when he left Hammerhead with the rest of his retinue following him, but the closer he got, the slower he became. He was practically dragging his feet by the time he reached the shed.  Cindy was using a basic pistol to provide support in killing the daemons but her assistance was barely needed. 

Noctis could see her dark hair with grey tips flow through the air as she warped off one monster and onto another, killing them both. She moved gracefully as she always did, but Noctis could see faint wounds on her body. Her neck was bandaged along with her hands. The hair she always made sure appeared in pristine condition donned an uneven cut. But none of that mattered.

Ignis, Prompto, and Gladio stood beside Noctis just as surprised and happy. None of them gathered the courage to speak or approach her. They stood in awe as she and Cindy finished off the remaining daemons with ease. And it wasn’t her who noticed them first but Cindy.

“About time y’all got here!” called out Cindy, waving with glee.

A small gasp came from the figure beside Cindy. She turned to look at the boys, and Noctis could see her face properly. It was a face he had known his whole life. The deep blue eyes that matched his and the gray streaks that matched their father were traits of hers he’d never forget. Finally, a single word escaped his lips.

“Astra.”

Chapter Text

“Astra,” Noctis finally said out loud the name that had been haunting him.

Astra was at a loss for words just like the rest of them. Noctis took a step forward but hesitated. It didn’t matter in the end because Astra was the one who ran to him. She took him in his arms and hugged him tightly; a thing they rarely ever did but it seemed near death experiences truly do change some things. Noctis’ hands hovered over her body as hers wrapped around his tightly but soon returned the feeling. However, it was a moment short-lived.

“Ew, no. You smell awful,” said Astra as she let go of her brother.

Noctis stood at a loss for words with open arms for a moment, “That’s what you start with?”

“I mean, I know we’re both dead , but just how dead are you trying to be?”

They all laughed. This time, Noctis didn’t feel guilty. He was just happy his insufferable older sister was alive. Prompto, Ignis, and Gladio slowly warmed up to the two.

“I knew it. There was no way the Niffs would be able to take you,” said Gladio, heavily patting Astra’s back. 

She winced in pain and Gladio retreated his hand with guilt. But she smiled, “Got to admit. They almost did. Several times.”

“What matters is that you are alive and with us. The details can be left for another time,” said Ignis in a gentle voice.

“Yeah, let’s head back before it gets too dark out here,” added Gladio.

Neither Astra or Noctis had noticed the setting sun until Gladio pointed it out. Noctis was surprised that Prompto didn’t have some cheerful chant, but he saw that Prompto’s eyes didn’t wander away from Astra. They all walked back to Hammerhead, making small talk to catch up with Astra. They went back to the diner and found Cid already waiting for them.

“Took care of all the daemons?” Cid asked Astra.

“Didn’t break a sweat,” she answered.

“But you did rip your stitches,” Cindy pointed to Astra’s arm.

Astra wore a black short sleeve shirt that exposed her arms and neck. Small traces of blood could be seen through the bandages on her right arm. “Whoops,” she said playfully. It was just blood, but somehow seeing her bleed scared Noctis.

“Let’s go to my room to patch you up. You boys go on ahead,” said Cindy, already dragging Astra away.

“Order for me. You guys already know what I like.”

“Y’all go on ahead without me. I got some things to do,” said Cid, as he too walked away.

And just like that, Astra was taken away from them just as fast as they found. They were all quiet for a moment. It was odd, to say the least, how casual Astra was acting. But that was Astra. She always made others worry about her, and she would just smile, hoping to ease the tension. The boys entered the diner and ordered. Although they normally sat in booths, they picked a bigger table this time around to be able to fit Astra. Almost on cue, Astra arrived after the food had been served.

“Did you smell the food get here? Asked Noctis.

“Maybe,” she said sarcastically, eating a fry off his plate.

Astra couldn’t remember the last time they all sat down to eat a decent meal. The past few years of her life had made her so busy. The table was circular and Noctis sat across from her, just like always. Despite feeling their intense stare on her, she ate her meal without a worry. 

“Astra,” started Ignis. “What exactly—”

“Nuh-uh,” she mumbled with her mouth full. She quickly swallowed her food. “Not yet. Tell me about you guys first. Heard your Royal Hunters ?”

Keeping up with Astra’s pace, Gladio helped her change the conversation, “That? That’s because your little brother doesn’t know how to reject a girl.”

“That is true.”

Noctis sat there without touching his food as he saw Astra playfully converse with Ignis and Prompto. He observed the dirt in her hair and the blood she hadn’t been able to get rid of from her fingernails. The bandages on her skin looked uncomfortable, making him wonder what she did whenever she got itchy. But she was smiling, and that was enough.

They stayed inside the diner until it closed, catching Astra up on all she had missed since they had left the city. Her attention didn’t wander and she remained attentive to their every word, regardless of who spoke. They each had their turn telling her stories. Gladio talked about Ignis’ mothering habits. Ignis talked about Noctis’ morning struggles. Noctis talked about almost everything else. On the other hand, Prompto remained unusually quiet but remained with them. He just sat there, looking at her. 

Even when the diner closed, the conversation didn’t. They simply moved it to the small table outside the RV trailer the boys would be staying in. The lights were dim, but they had the stars and moon. The chairs they sat in were flimsy, dirty and made out of plastic. It was a place Noctis had never really expected Astra to be in, but she behaved normally as if it weren’t something new to her.

Before they knew it, there were no more stories to tell. Astra was now fully informed on the adventures Noctis and his friends had partaken in. It probably wasn’t a perfect re-telling, but that wasn’t what mattered. With no one talking, Astra leaned back in her chair and looked up at the stars. Prompto could swear he saw the reflection of their light in her eyes.

“Astra,” Gladio was the one who spoke this time. “What happened back there?”

Astra closed her eyes. She frowned for a little as she inhaled deeply from her nose, then she sat up with open eyes. There was no light reflected in them now. “It was hell,” she stated bitterly.

She told them how the treaty fell apart, how she met a mysterious enemy, how she felt her father die, how she saw Iris, how she watched Luna leave the city but didn’t know if she was still alive… The list was long, but she told them what she could to the best of her abilities. The air was heavy, and the only thing heard after she finished talking were the insects buzzing in the night. None of them could look at her. Astra could guess why. She had just told them of all the life-threatening events she had gone through in the past few days— the same days they were worrying about the weather more than anything else. In the end, it was Astra who spoke first.

“Gladio,” she called out.

Gladio looked up at Astra, clenching his jaw. “Yeah?”

“Have you heard from Iris?”

He laughed, “Yeah, yeah. She made it to Lestallum thanks to you.”

Astra slightly nodded, “That’s good. I assume that’s where we’re headed?”

“You’re coming with us?” asked Ignis. “What of the remaining Crownsguard?”

“That responsibility has been passed down to Cor. Mine, now, lies elsewhere.”

“Where, exactly?” asked Noctis harshly.

“With you.” Astra didn’t shy away from Noctis’ glare. “In a way, it always has been.”

They all had more questions for Astra, but they couldn’t bring themselves to ask. There was too much they didn’t know and too much Astra was, undoubtedly, not telling them. But, with what right could they demand answers from her? All they could do was bid her a goodnight when she left.

Astra was up before Noctis, but that wasn’t anything surprising. He always slept in whenever he could, and she could tell he hadn’t been getting much of that recently. It was surprisingly busy for everyone else but Astra. Gladio was asked to help some passing travelers load and unload their truck. Noctis was sleeping, and Prompto was helping Cindy out with some stuff. And so, that left only Astra and Ignis left to have breakfast together.

“Does it hurt?” asked Ignis, looking at the wound on her neck.

Astra unconsciously hid her neck with her hair, “Can’t even feel it anymore.”

It felt as though there was nothing to talk about. After everything that happened yesterday, Astra was at a loss for conversation starters. Despite the fact she had spent countless hours in Insomnia talking to Ignis, she suddenly didn't know how to. 

"Your tips look lighter," pointed out Ignis as he looked at her hair.

Astra looked down at her hair. It was true. The ends were now entirely gray, almost silver, and slowly faded out as they reached across to her roots. "At least, it's not accelerating my age," she said. Grey hair was a small price to pay for the power she used.

"Still worrisome nonetheless."

"Well, I did use more magic than usual."

"Now that you are with us, there's no need to overexert yourself." Ignis looked into Astra's eyes with care. "You can rest now."

Astra smiled as she played with the remainder of her food. He said it as if she didn't know herself. Ignis was always caring for her. She didn't know if it was because she was the princess, but at this point, she didn't care. She was just grateful someone like him was looking out for her. But Astra knew that "easy" wasn't the right way to describe the future the Astrals had in mind for them.

“So, what’s next on the list?” asked Prompto.

Prompto had been helping Cindy out all morning with her work in the garage. He didn’t know anything about cars; in fact, he could barely drive one. But, there he was. At the very least, he was learning a thing or two. Prompto sat down a box of tools and looked at Cindy who was frowning at him with crossed arms. 

“What?” he asked.

“You ain’t fooling anyone, blondie,” said Cindy.

“I don’t follow.”

Cindy began unpacking what was inside the box, “The only reason you’re here is cause you’re avoiding her, and for the life of me, I can’t figure out why. I mean, just yesterday morning, you thought she was dead—”

“Are— Are you talking about Astra?”

“Who else?” She slammed a tool on the table. “Don’t think that no one else noticed how you changed when you thought she was dead. I let you follow me around, thinking it would help, but now she’s back. And you’re avoiding her?”

“I haven’t been…” Prompto couldn’t bring himself to deny the accusations. 

When he thought Astra died in the city, he lost a part of himself. He didn’t feel like himself, or at least, the person he pretended to be. He didn’t have the energy to make jokes and lighten the mood as he always did. He hated waking up in the morning but hated looking up at the night sky even more. 

And when he saw her again? The missing piece clicked back into him, giving back the color to his life that he had lost. His mind was racing with thoughts and he wanted to say it all— do it all. But he was still himself. He was still the scared little boy she met at school all those years ago.

“It’s complicated,” he told Cindy.

“Yeah, Pawpaw said you’d say that,” said Cindy.

“Wait, Cid knows? Don’t answer that.” Prompto pulled up a chair and sat down, holding his hands tightly. “I’ve known her since we were kids. Before I ever worked up the courage to even say ‘Hi’ to Noctis. She was the one who came up to me.”

“Were you close?”

“I thought we were. But, I don’t know. Astra was always...burdened, I suppose. Like there was something she needed to do. When she turned 13, she kind of cut me off— cut everyone off really, even Noctis to an extent. She threw herself into her work.” 

“I didn’t see her again until years later. Physically, I had changed. Big time. But, she was able to recognize me at first glance, and everything I felt that I had pushed away came rushing back within seconds. But I was still the same kid on the inside, too scared to take the first step, and Astra just kept getting bigger and further away, reminding me that she was a princess and I,” Prompto smiled lightly. “Was just the pauper she took pity on.”

“Pity? If that’s what you think of her, then she's probably better off away from you. ”

Prompto couldn’t understand why, but he was offended that she said that.

“You’re trying to tell me that she approached a shy little you out of pity? That don’t sound like the Astra I know,” said Cindy, not even looking at Prompto.

“You knew her? Before all this?”

“Proud to say, before you ever did. I met her back when Astra and her mother had an outing together. Of course, that was a long time ago. We kept in contact, but Astra isn’t the best at keeping up with that.”

“No, she isn’t,” laughed Prompto.

A familiar voice could be heard outside the garage. Both Cindy and Prompto turned to see Astra and Ignis talking with the weapon’s dealer. They couldn’t hear their conversation properly, but Ignis said something that made Astra laugh. Her cheekbones rose with a blush, and wrinkles formed around her smiling eyes. Cindy watched as a smile crept onto Prompto’s face that matched Astra's.

“I’ll hand you this: you know how to pick ‘em. But, you sure don't pick ‘em easy,” said Cindy.

“Well, I have been told this isn’t something you pick for yourself. But, I have been told I liked reaching for the stars too often,” said Prompto without taking his eyes off Astra. “Thanks, Cindy.”

It might have been because he’d never said any of this out loud before or to anyone else, but Prompto felt lighter and more confident. It could also be because he was constantly surrounded by oblivious men, and a woman’s insight was actually invaluable.

“Don’t thank me. All I did was set you right.” Cindy looked happier.

“And sorry,” he added. “About everything before this.”

Prompto didn’t know when it started, but he had adopted the habit of being easily “smitten” by women. Now he knew it was just another way of avoiding his other feelings— feelings he wasn’t quite ready to confront just yet. Cindy was one of these women. He was never pushy or disrespectful, but looking back on this behaviour made him red with embarrassment nonetheless.

“Yeah, you were kind of sad,” said Cindy with a look of sincere pity.

Prompto continued helping Cindy in the garage. He didn’t feel as forced as before and felt lighter. He was able to talk to Cindy in a much more comfortable way where they even joked with each other. Prompto tried getting some info on Astra and Cindy’s first meeting, but Cindy said it would remain a secret as the price to his foolishness. 

This time, Prompto didn’t wait. As soon as he finished helping Cindy, he went to the bathroom, fixed his hair and his clothes, and walked to the tables outside the RV trailer. Noctis was sitting outside with them, and Astra was telling them a story. There was a seat right next to her, calling his name. He could feel the gazes of his friends on him as he sat down next to her; they too had realized his avoidance. 

But, now that he was there, he didn’t know what to say. There were a lot of things he wanted to say, but he couldn't pick one. He couldn't even pay attention to the story she was telling that made everyone laugh. He broke out of his frenzied state when he saw a hairpin fall onto the ground. As his hand reached to pick it up from under the table, he bumped his head with someone else's.

"Sorry," said Astra, rubbing the place on his head she hit.

They were close. Too close. Prompto hurried out from underneath the table, hoping she didn't see the red in his cheeks. She soon came out from under the table after him. Prompto was afraid that he'd taken everyone's attention from her to himself, but noticed that the conversation had continued without Astra. He looked down to his hand, barely noticing he had picked it up before her.

"This yours?" Asked Prompto as he showed Astra the hairpin.

"Yeah, thanks." Astra's hand brushed against his as she took the hairpin from his hand.

"It's pretty," he blurted out, but he wasn’t looking at the hairpin.

"Thanks. It was a birthday present from Noctis."

"So, he does have taste?"

"Honestly, I was just as surprised when I first saw it."

They laughed, and Prompto knew there was nothing to be afraid of. She treated him just like she always did without any pretense. She talked, he laughed. He joked, she smiled. That’s how he knew things were going to be okay.

Chapter Text

“You cut your hair,” pointed out Prompto.

It was barely minutes past noon. Noctis had just woken up and Prompto had just joined the remaining three. The weather was pleasant, reminding Astra of better days.

“Actually, it was already cut. Tragically so,” said Astra, fiddling with the tips of her hair. “But Ignis cleaned it up for me.”

“You can cut hair?” Prompto asked Ignis who was sitting across from him.

“It’s just something I picked up,” answered Ignis after taking a sip from his drink.

“I’m not sure how I feel about it though. It’s been a while since I’ve had my hair this short,” said Astra.

“It’s past your shoulders,” mentioned Gladio.

“It used to reach her lower back,” said Noctis, barely able to open his eyes.

“Damn. That long?”

“I thought it made me look mature,” reasoned Astra.

“Well, now that we’re all here,” started Ignis. “It’s best we determine what we do next.”

Everyone looked at Noctis who could barely keep his head upright. When he noticed all the eyes on him, he looked at Astra. 

“This isn’t my call. I did, however, tell Cor that I am alive, so we can cross that off our checklist. If we even had one,” said Astra. "I heard you guys were headed to Lestallum."

“Yeah, we kind of put that off for a while," added Prompto.

"And it's still where we're going. It's about time Gladio got to see his sister," said Noctis.

"Okay, then. When do we leave?" Asked Ignis.

Noctis looked up at the sun and then at the time on his phone. "Well, there’s not much else to do here, so we might as well head out."

"Alright! Back on the road! Just me and the bros-" Prompto cut his chant off when he looked at Astra. "And a royal...doe?"

"Smooth save," teased Astra. She stood up and tucked her chair under the table. “I’m gonna go pack up. Which shouldn’t take long since I left the city with nothing but the clothes on my back, but yeah.”

“I’ll prepare for the journey ahead,” followed Ignis.

With that, both Ignis and Astra left to do their own thing. What little Astra had left was in Cindy’s room. When she arrived at Hammerhead, Astra could barely keep her eyes open. She could barely find any time to sleep with the empire constantly searching for her; she knew she wouldn’t be able to rest until they found her body. Astra’s uniform was torn and dirty; Cindy had tried cleaning it up, but the stains of blood remained. Nonetheless, she couldn’t leave it behind and packed it into the duffel bag Cindy gave her. From a past visit, Astra had left some clothes of hers with Cindy; she lamented it then but was now glad she did so.

Astra got rid of her now unnecessary bandages and took off the clothes she was wearing. Although the clothes she was wearing were okay, she knew she’d be on the road for a while and had to pick something she’d be comfortable in. She came up with an outfit and laughed a little realizing that what was comfortable to her was not what was comfortable to others. She picked a dark grey dress shirt with long sleeves and black pants, paired with a tight black vest. She wore the knee-high boots that came with her uniform and put on a complimentary cropped jacket. She rolled up her shirt and jacket’s sleeves so that her forearms could breathe and put on a pair of gloves. 

She looked at herself in the mirror as she pulled her hair into a ponytail. Observing herself in the mirror, she looked over her clothes, making sure every scar was covered. She didn’t like that the guys spent more time looking at them than at her. She was ready to head out when she felt a breeze on her neck. Images flashed through her mind as she looked at the scar on her neck. She drew away from the mirror and sat down on the makeshift bed she’d been sleeping in.

“Well, don’t you look like a million gil,” said Cindy in her usual cheerful tone. “Neck feeling a little bare?”

Astra didn’t even notice she was hiding her scar with her own hand, “No, I just—”

“Why don’t you wear that necklace?” Cindy pointed to the dresser where she left the necklace her father gifted her.

“I don’t think it goes with the outfit,” lied Astra.

“Well, you gotta put it on to know.”

Astra hadn’t worn the necklace and had instead hidden it in her pocket. She couldn’t bring herself to put it on, but Cindy took the necklace and personally put it on Astra. Cindy moved her from the bed to the mirror. The necklace laid perfectly at her collarbone as a shining gem to her outfit. But, she didn’t know that such a simple necklace would feel so heavy.

“I don’t know. Think it’s missing something,” said Cindy as she searched through her own jewelry. “Aha!” 

Cindy held something black in her hand and placed it around Astra’s neck. Once her hands moved out of sight, Astra could see it was a choker that complimented her necklace and coincidentally hid her scar perfectly. “Thank you,” said Astra, smiling to Cindy through the mirror. 

A knock was heard by the door, and both girls turned to look. Gladio stood there awkwardly, his frame practically filling the doorway. “I didn’t want to interrupt your girl talk, but we’re all loaded up,” he said. 

“Do you think that picking out clothes is girl talk?” asked Astra.

“Isn’t that what it is?”

Astra sighed. She picked up her duffel bag and walked out with both Gladio and Cindy following her. Noctis, Prompto, and Ignis were already at the car, waiting for them. Gladio took Astra’s bag and stuffed it into the trunk.

“What took so long?” asked Noctis as he sat inside the car.

“I didn’t even take that long,” answered Astra.

“That’s what you’re gonna wear?” asked Gladio.

“What is it with you boys attacking me? Yeah, I find this comfortable.”

“You dress like Ignis,” added Prompto.

“Yeah? Well, Ignis knows how to dress!”

“Well, it seems we’re all ready, now,” said Ignis, calming the random discussion. “We best be on our way.”

“Y’all are funny. I’ll miss it,” said Cindy.

Their goodbyes weren’t heartbreaking or too serious. According to Noctis, he felt they’d be back eventually. Astra hugged Cindy goodbye and joined everyone else in the car that took off without hesitation. Despite sitting five, the Regalia barely had any space for Astra. Ignis sat in the driver’s seat, Prompto in shotgun. That left Noctis, Astra, and Gladio to sit in the back, and she was stuck between the two. She had the worst seat. Astra put it up with them for as long as she could, but even with her legs crossed, Noctis and Gladio allowed her little to no leg space.

“Can you close your damn legs?” yelled Astra at both Noctis and Gladio.

They were officially in Duscae and had been for quite some time. It was humid and cloudy, unconsciously making everyone quiet and droosy. Everyone was doing their own thing, but now all attention was on her. Noctis glanced at the space Astra was given, “We’re giving you—”

“You’re giving me a headache!” She interrupted Noctis. “That’s the only thing you’re giving me.”

Gladio coughed awkwardly, “Uh, Astra. Well, you know, men need a little more space when sitting.”

“I know that, Gladio. I grew up with a twin brother and a single father. I can make sense of a pattern. But!” Astra pushed both Noctis and Gladio’s legs away from her. “It doesn’t mean you need to take up that much space!”

Prompto and Ignis laughed at the three.

“Watch it, Prompto. Cause if they keep this up, it’s your seat I’ll be taking,” said Astra, pointing to Prompto.

Prompto’s smile faded, “Give her some space, guys.”

“That’s how easy you are?” asked Noctis.

“Leave it, Noct. We both know why,” winked Gladio to Noctis.

But Prompto wasn’t listening to them. He was glued to his phone with wide eyes and a childlike smile. Noticing he wasn’t paying attention, Gladio pushed Astra aside with his body as he leaned over to try to look at Prompto’s  phone, but he couldn’t reach to see and nudged Astra to check instead. She shook him off her shoulder but complied nonetheless.

“Chocobos?” asked Astra out loud.

With embarrassment, Prompto turned around and hid his phone. “Nuh-uh.”

“Chocobos? There is a chocobo post in Duscae,” mentioned Ignis. “I don’t believe we’ve passed it.”

“So you want to see the chocobos?” Noctis asked Prompto.

Prompto shook his head dramatically, “No, it was just something that came up—”

“But I thought you liked chocobos,” interrupted Astra.

“Pfft,” sounded out Prompto as he waved his hand. “ Kids like chocobos.”

“You are a kid,” said Noctis.

“I’m just TWO months younger than you!”

“So, are we going to the chocobo post?” Astra asked Noctis.

Noctis looked over to Gladio. Despite Noctis calling the shots, he felt he needed Gladio’s permission to further delay their arrival to Lestallum. Gladio shrugged, “Iris and I talked yesterday. Told her about Astra, and she seemed to be doing fine.”

“Then, chocobo post it is,” said Noctis, tapping Ignis' shoulder.

Prompto didn’t try to stop Ignis from making the necessary turn. Instead, he turned away his head to hide the obvious look of joy that spread across his face, but Astra could see it from the car’s side view mirror.

Astra had been in Duscae long enough to admit that she hated it. She hated feeling sticky and having flies slam onto her face as Ignis drove without the car’s sunroof. She tried convincing Ignis to put it back up, but Noctis interfered, saying it was his car. Furthermore, she didn’t like the forest that inhabited Duscae. Well, she didn’t like any forest at all. Besides the fact that she just couldn’t feel at ease, she didn’t like that the trees obstructed the visibility of pretty much everything and provided good enough cover for bandits and daemons waiting to crawl out to create mayhem.

Astra hadn’t been able to properly rest the night before. Throughout the entire car ride, she felt her consciousness slip in and out. It wasn’t a comfortable way to sleep, but it worked. Ever since it was announced that the gang would be going to the chocobo post, she could hear Prompto chip in with fun facts about chocobos. Most of the day was spent on the road, meaning none of them had a decent meal since breakfast and that was a big deal for someone with such a large appetite like Gladio.

“If we still aren’t there within the hour, I say we make camp and eat,” said Gladio. “I’m starving, and the sun is going down.”

“Well, you don’t need to worry anymore because—”

Prompto interrupted Ignis as he jumped up from his seat, “We’re here!”

“One day, you’ll end up falling out,” warned Astra.

But Prompto only turned to smile and returned his attention to the chocobo post up ahead. It was barely in view, surprising Astra that Prompto even saw but he was always good at spotting things. It looked a lot more abandoned than she had expected. There were almost no people despite the post being advertised as the busiest and most popular chocobo post in Lucis. In fact, Astra noticed there weren’t any chocobos in sight as Ignis parked the car.

“This is what I’m talking about!” Prompto skipped out of glee around Astra.

“Is it usually this busy?” asked Gladio sarcastically.

“Astra! Look at this,” said Prompto, already at the gift shop. Now fully awake, Astra went to him and saw the small chocobo figures Prompto held in his hand. She tapped the chocobo’s head and watched it bobble every which way, making Prompto’s smile even bigger. It didn’t take long for his attention to shift to something else, and he dragged Astra along to show it to her.

He picked up another chocobo figurine, but this one was smaller and cuter, meant for children. His eyes looked over every detail on the figure, and he held it with such care as if it would shatter with any sudden movement. Astra could swear his eyes were shining, and she couldn’t look away from him. “Isn’t it cute?” asked Prompto.

“I suppose ‘cute’ is rather fitting,” she said, ever so obviously looking past the chocobo figurine.

Looking beside them, Prompto almost squealed as he dragged Astra to a man she recognized as the outpost’s owner from the ads, Wiz.

“S’cuse me, we’d like to ride the chocobos,” said Prompto, motioning to Astra and the rest of the group.

“The chocobos? Sorry to say but we can’t let our birds leave the post. There’s this unusually ferocious behemoth that’s been prowling around these parts. Call him Deadeye,” said Wiz. “To prevent accidents an’ tragedies, we’ve suspended rentals.”

Astra could see Prompto’s hopes and dreams vanish in the blink of an eye. She patted his back, but it obviously didn’t do too much to console someone who has wanted to ride a chocobo since they were a kid.

“Hold on, aren’t y’all the newbie hunters who’ve been making a name for themselves around these parts?” asked Wiz. Noctis could see Astra glare at him from the corner of his eye. “I’m sure y’all would be able to handle the likes of Deadeye.”

“It’s settled then,” said Prompto as he began to walk away. But Astra pulled him back by his jacket.

“Slow your horse. We haven’t even checked how strong it is and look at the sun,” said Astra, pointing at the sun that was already tucked away behind trees and hills.

“She’s right. We’ll pick it up in the morning. Too dangerous at night,” agreed Gladio.

Knowing they were right, Prompto looked down at the ground and lightly kicked a pebble. Noctis came up from behind and nudged him, “It’s just a night. Rentals would be closed at this time either way.” Prompt nodded his head sadly, and Noctis dragged him to the RV trailer that Ignis was already paying the night for.

Even with the jacket she was wearing, Astra felt a chill now that the sun had set. The lights were turning on, and she rubbed her arms as she looked up at a nearby cliff. She could sense a daemon’s presence from there, lurking in the shadows, but ignored it, knowing that it wouldn’t be able to get close to the outpost because of the light. At the RV trailer, Ignis was already cooking, probably because of Gladio. She sat down outside the trailer with Noctis and Prompto; Prompto was re-telling all his fun facts, and Gladio was with Ignis, readying himself to get the first bite of food.

Astra killed her time by looking at the dagger she had hidden in her jacket. It was a kukri, not a traditional weapon of Insomnia, but it was clearly forged in Insomnia. After spending so much time with weapons, Astra could tell what weapons came from her home. She must’ve spent a hefty amount of time looking at the kukri because by the time she looked back up, everyone already had a plate of food, including her. She placed the kukri down on the table and picked up the plate of food instead.

Dinner was superb, as always. Astra never tired from Ignis’ cooking, and it seemed everyone else agreed by leaving their plates practically spotless. They all talked about the chocobos and past memories. But Astra’s gaze fell back on the kukri too often for Prompto not to notice.

“Is that dagger yours?” asked Prompto with everyone present.

Astra picked up the kukri and held it in display with both hands, “It’s called a kukri. Insomnian made. And, no. It’s not mine.”

“May I?” asked Ignis, holding out a hand towards the kukri. Astra hesitantly passed it to him. He held it up and analyzed it carefully as he made deductions. “It belonged to a Glaive?”

“It belonged to a friend ,” corrected Astra as she took back the kukri. “His name was Nyx Ulric. I served with him on the frontlines. He looked after me. Took me under his wing.”

“The Glaive who took down Drautos?” asked Gladio.

“Yeah. I tried finding his body but it...uh…” Astra couldn’t meet their eyes. “The Ring took its toll. I couldn’t tell where his ashes began and the dust ended.”

“And Drautos?” asked Noctis. He spoke normally, but Astra could see the rage in his eyes.

“There was barely anything left of him by the time I got there. The empire dropped their fair share of daemons and monsters, and my guess is they were hungry. But, I found this lodged into his remains,” said Astra, holding up the kukri. “I may not be able to bury him, but I have this. And when we get close enough, I’m gonna break off. Head to Galahd.”

“You’re leaving?” asked Prompto.

“Eventually, but hopefully, not for long,” She could only look at Prompto’s warm eyes. “I just need to see this through.”

There was silence, and there was only one who could break it.

“As long as you don’t disappear on me without warning,” said Noctis.

“So I just need to give you a heads up then disappear?” She asked sarcastically.

“You know what I mean.”

The night was long, and for once, Astra was thankful for it. She enjoyed the time she spent with them. They were able to gradually change the conversation to something more lighthearted, even reminding her of Nyx. When she sat alone around a campfire on her first day in the frontlines, it was Nyx who came to her and accepted her not as a princess but as herself. After long days where she saw her fellow soldiers die and when she couldn’t sleep at night, it was Nyx who stayed up with her, telling her stories of his youth in Galahd. But, those days were past, and those she shared the memory had moved on. All she could do was promise Nyx in her heart that the future he died for would be worth living.

Chapter Text

Name: Astra Lucis Caelum

Birthday: August 30

Age: 20

Height: 170 cm

Gender: Female

Race: Human

Occupation: Princess, Kingsglaive, Head of Crownsguard, Hunter

Personality: Responsible, Caring, Strict, Tease, Impatient, Honest, Trustful, Mistrusting, Burdened, Hardy, Focused, Clever, 

Appearance: She used to have long dark grey hair that reached her waist and was a shade or two darker than her father’s hair; after her encounter with a daemon when she was a child, she received lighter unnatural streaks of grey in her hair. For some unknown cause, her magic is incompatible with her body and strains her; the effects are seen on her hair where the lighter shades of grey expand whenever she overextends her power a dangerous amount. After the fall of Insomnia, her hair was cut a little below her shoulders, and the tips of her hair were all colored the lighter and unnatural grey that had only been streaks before. Apart from her hair, Astra physically resembles her mother more than her father, unlike Noctis who is the opposite. (I headcanon that their mother was Asian since Noctis looked Wasian when he was 20 years old, and only looked more European when he was 30.) Her eyes are similar to Noctis’ where they are a dark, deep blue and sometimes look grey. Occasionally, her eyes will glow a lilac/purple color but the conditions under which it happens have yet to be defined. Since she was a child, Astra was sorely aware of her standing as a princess and the first-born, and so she would always make sure her clothes were presentable and “worthy” of a princess. Her casual style is simple and relaxed since she rarely is able to dress how she pleases in her scarce free time. She has worn gloves that cover her entire hands since she was young.

Set Appearance: (The clothes she wears and how she looks pretty much all the time unless stated otherwise)

Travelling on the road, Astra wears a grey dress shirt tucked into black pants. She wears a small and tight vest over her clothes, along with a concealed holster hidden underneath her jacket to keep Nyx’s kukri with her at all times. She wears a cropped black jacket over her clothes which she often rolls up the sleeves to her forearm, paired with black gloves. For accessories, Astra always covers the scar on her neck with a choker and pairs it with the necklace her father left for her. She wears the knee-high boots that were a part of her Kingsglaive uniform due to their knee protective gear.

Weapons: (Like Ignis, Astra is able to channel all kinds of elemental magic through her weapons.)

*these are the weapons she has stored and can summon any time

Sword - Her sword was modified for her to accommodate to her speed and constant warping.

Polearm - Once belonging to her mother, the polearm Astra uses is typically only brought out under circumstances she deems serious or important enough. She does not want to use it mindlessly despite her being most proficient with a polearm.

Dual Daggers - Once belonged to Ignis, the daggers were gifts, and Ignis taught Astra how to use them.

Bow and Arrow - Despite not being a good shot, Astra learned to use a bow and uses elemental magic as arrows. However, due to the difficulty of creating arrows out of magic, she does not use it often.

Rope Dagger - Both rope and dagger are reinforced with Lucian steel and can withstand extreme situations and magic.

Skills: 

Magical Mastery

Weapons Master

Politics

Business

Battle

Stealth

Speed

Durability (both magical and physical)

Yo Mama Jokes (jk...unless...)

Weaknesses:

Heavy Weapons

Self-Care

Strength

Diplomacy

Magic (Strain)

Mercy

Chapter Text

“You look awfully excited for someone who’s going to hunt a behemoth after breakfast,” said Astra to Prompto.

During breakfast, the gang interviewed Wiz on the behemoth. It was undoubtedly strong, but they could take it. The chill she felt from last time didn’t leave Astra and persisted even as she ate breakfast. Ignis was stocking the potions they might need while everyone else readied themselves for the hunt, although Noctis, Prompto, and Astra were only killing time by sitting around.

“Well, duh. Within a few hours, the behemoth will be dead, and I’ll be riding a chocobo into the sunset,” laughed Prompto.

“If we can even find it within the day. Even then, we need to follow it to its lair to kill it,” pointed out Noctis.

“Although finding something as big as a behemoth shouldn’t be hard, the Nebulawoods are pretty foggy so it’s sense of smell must be pretty good,” mentioned Astra as she turned to Noctis. “Did you even shower last night?”

“If I smell too clean, it’ll ward it off. It’s better to smell like everything else in the woods,” answered Noctis.

“Ugh. You’re disgusting.”

Ignis approached the three, “Gladio and I are ready. I assume the three of you are too?”

Prompto stood up to salute, and Noctis nodded. The four began to make their way to the outpost's exit but Astra remained seated. “I’m gonna stay back,” she said, surprising them and making them turn around.

“What? Why? This was gonna be our first hunt together,” frowned Prompto.

“I’m not trying to say I don’t trust you, but if the behemoth feels threatened, it will run away from the woods and this outpost will be in its path,” explained Astra.

Noctis crossed his arms, “Just admit it’s ‘cause you don’t want to go into the foggy woods.”

Astra rolled her eyes and let out a deep sigh, “Yeah, that too. What? Do you need your big sister to hold your hand?”

“As if!”

“Then, we’re good.”

Gladio and Prompto couldn’t help but laugh at their banter. Ignis readjusted his glasses and spoke, “Well, that’s alright, then. Just make sure to stay out of trouble.” Astra nodded and then watched as they faded into the woods. Once she was sure they were gone, she went back to the RV trailer and began to undress herself.

She took her ragged uniform and carefully dressed herself, fearing to make any new tears in it although the intention would soon be rendered meaningless. She had two medals on her chest that had clung to her uniform all throughout the battle of Insomnia, but she took them off and placed them with the rest of her clothes. Although it wasn’t originally part of her uniform, Astra kept the necklaces she was wearing and also sheathed Nyx’s kukri on a holster she wore. When she walked out the trailer, Wiz was waiting for her.

“You didn’t go with the rest of the boys?” he asked.

“I’m hunting something else,” answered Astra, pushing past him without even granting him a glance.

“You should probably wait for them to come back. Lend you a hand,” continued Wiz, attempting to keep up with Astra’s walking pace.

“Why are you trying to stop me?”

Astra had stopped and turned her entire body to face Wiz. He looked scared or worried. It didn’t matter to Astra since they were the same thing to her. He looked down to her hand, noticing she was ready to draw Nyx’s kukri at any second if need be, and then looked back to her eyes, “I’ve seen enough hunters come and go from this place. Of all ages and from all sorts of places—”

“What does this have to do with me?”

“I know the eyes of someone looking to settle a score,” he said gently. “And it never turned out pretty.”

Her hand fell from the kukri, “Do you know who I am?”

Wiz nodded with a look Astra recognized. He wasn’t worried or scared. He just found her pitiful. “How could I not, Your Highness?” he answered.

But, she didn’t need pity. 

“Then, you should know better than to try to stop me.”

Without sparing him a second more, Astra turned around and left Wiz and the outpost behind. She remembered the cliff from last night and slowly made her way to it, surveying her surroundings every step. The closer she was, the colder the chill went down her spine. It took her a while since she wasn’t warping; she needed to preserve her energy. From the cliff, she felt like she could see everything without the obstruction from the trees. It didn’t take long for them to arrive.

She heard the mechanical warring from the engine first. It wasn’t until she heard the dozens of clanky metal feet slam onto the ground that she turned around. Three battalions of magitek soldiers readied themselves, but Astra’s attention wasn’t on them. Her eyes followed a man with red hair covered by a hat. A man who walked as if he hadn’t committed mass genocide just a few days ago. A man she even shared a drink with.

“Hope I didn’t keep you waiting,” said Ardyn, stepping in front of the battalions. “How did you know I’d be here?”

Astra didn’t summon her sword. Not yet.

“I could smell your foul stench from a mile away,” answered Astra. “I thought I was being paranoid, but you really have been following me since before Hammerhead.”

Ardyn laughed, “You truly are the Light of Lucis . It’s a nickname outlanders have for you—”

Astra summoned her sword. She couldn’t stand hearing him speak anymore.

“So, you do intend to kill me on your own,” said Ardyn to himself. “You’ve come to die.”

Astra threw her sword straight to Ardyn, but he moved a nearby magitek robot to shield him, making it take the hit instead of him. Astra had already warped to her sword, now stuck inside the robot; by the time she noticed, Ardyn had already kicked her off the robot and away from him with a strength that surprised her. He didn’t care for the robots, and he didn’t care for her. Her body flew towards several magitek robots who hadn’t braced for her impact, and they all fell over, including Astra.

Summoning her sword back to her hand, Astra stood up, and the magitek robot soldiers surrounded her. From behind them all, Ardyn smiled at Astra’s state, and she knew the only way she’d get to kill him would be by killing everything else first. So, she complied. She slashed and stabbed, holding her sword in one hand and Nyx’s kukri in the other. The holes in her uniform widened, and new spots of blood stained her clothes. Between her screams and the robots’ whirring, Astra could hear Ardyn laughing at the spectacle. But every time she thought she killed the last of them, another battalion of magitek robots dropped from a newly arrived magitek engine. 

This went on long enough for Astra to lose track of time and patience. But, she persisted because she had to. She had to kill Ardyn. For herself. For her father. Astra slowly worked her way to Ardyn as she killed his reinforcements. It almost felt like a dance. Step, Stab, Twirl, Slash. Repeat, but not always in that order. A few more cuts and bruises later, Astra was only a few feet away from Ardyn.

But, this time, Astra knew better. If she was too close, Ardyn would simply twirl away to safety as backup came to save him. So, as soon as she landed the finishing blow on the last standing robot, Astra threw the kukri straight to Ardyn without hesitation or even alluding to it with her body. She saw Ardyn’s eyes widen with shock as she stood helpless, watching the kukri mere inches away from his chest. 

He caught the kukri and readied himself for Astra’s warp, but what most people don’t know is that warping isn’t truly tied to the weapon as a beacon. It is only a psychological and physical help, and skilled warpers could warp past their beacons. Astra was one of them. It was too late by the time Ardyn realized the kukri was a diversion. Astra had already knocked the air out of him, sending him flying back.

He rolled several times on the ground but steadied himself before losing the momentum. However, Astra wasn’t going to give him even a second to think. She was already above him with her polearm in hand. Astra’s specialty was speed, and no one was a match for her. Not even Ardyn. Switching between weapons, she landed continuous hits on Ardyn. The most he could do was block.

Astra gave it everything she had. One hit after another. But Ardyn was still standing even if she pierced him with her sword. He wouldn’t die. Noticing her surprise, Ardyn laughed in her face even as she continued piercing him with her weapons.

He wouldn’t die, and he only laughed. Astra jumped back and away from him. She could see the holes in his clothes, but no wounds. Ardyn stood still, waiting for her next attack, and so Astra took advantage of his idleness. She retreated her weapon and held out a hand towards Ardyn that began to glow. Looking only mildly interested, Ardyn watched as she summoned every weapon in her dimensional armory and had them surround her; upon a closer look, he saw they were clear and glowed a gentle purple almost lilac color.

“Is that—”

Astra didn’t let him finish. She closed her fist and all her weapons launched forward to strike Ardyn. It was too fast for him to avoid, and too strong for him to keep standing. She had 5 weapons at her disposal, and they each took turns dealing their damage, pillowing him into the ground. Using such a grand amount of magic strained Astra; she was already weary from the battle. By the time the dust cleared, Astra expected to find a possibly mutilated body, but instead she didn't even find a single piece from a body at all. He was gone.

Astra looked all around like a madman, searching for Ardyn. But, it wasn’t until she felt a chill on her neck that she turned around and saw him leering over her. Her specialty was speed, even applying to her summoning. But none of her experiences or training prepared her for this. Ardyn covered Astra’s face with his hand and slammed her entire body onto the ground before she could summon any weapons to her aid.

“I admit. You’re skilled and strong,” he said with rage. “But several hundred years too early to take me on. And what was that?”

A dark aura began to escape Ardyn and seeped itself into Astra. She slowly felt every cell in her body fight back and be torn mercilessly apart.

"The Armiger ? Isn't that the heir's ability- wait. Wait! The color!" Ardyn laughed, looking down at Astra who could barely breathe. "Was that your cheap attempt to replicate the power with your own? That's rather low for a princess."

She couldn't yell or scream at him. Only an inhuman growl escaped her lips.

“You know how annoying it was to follow you around Hammerhead’s desert. So, I let up, and you went running to your friends. Just. As. I. Planned,” continued Ardyn, without letting her go. “But, I’ll give credit where it’s due. You have been an incredible obstacle in my path. You were then, and you are now.”

Astra felt her consciousness slipping from her. She felt like she was being changed from the inside out. Even breathing proved a challenge.

“You feel that right? The cold? The empty? I’ve corrupted countless before, but you’ll be my first royal corruption. You’ll be just like me,” He almost sounded happy. “The corruption will take you, and Astra Lucis Caelum will cease to exist. She will be—”

But her anger raged on within her. She reached for Ardyn’s neck and squeezed as tightly as she could, which wasn’t much. She doubted she could even hold a pencil properly in her state. Ardyn didn’t say anything and only looked at her pitifully. She was tired of pity. Tired of the pain. It took all her remaining strength to summon Nyx’s kukri into her hand and stab it into his neck.

Ardyn let her go and jumped back, being in visible pain. She knew it wouldn’t kill him, but if she learned one thing in the fight, it’s that he still feels pain. He tore the kukri from his neck and proceeded to laugh like a maniac at Astra who could barely keep her eyes open.

“You truly are something, Princess. Calling you a light is insulting. You are a raging fire. Determined to take others with you even as your own flame dies out... Okay." Ardyn lowered himself towards her and placed the kukri into the sheath she wore. “I’ll let you go. Whether you live depends on whether you can overcome the corruption. But! I will be needing those pesky memories of yours.”

Without warning, he slammed his hand onto her forehead, releasing his daemonic aura once again. This time, the aura didn’t attempt to mingle and overtake hers. It felt as though something was being sucked out. Stolen. But, she could no longer remember what.

The man before her let go of her head but remained looking over her. She heard distant voices. Someone was singing. She knew them. She knew that voice.

“Looks like it’s time to leave,” said the man that stood over her. “Buy me some time?”

The man kicked Astra over the edge of the cliff. She rolled down onto the street and could finally see Prompto, Noctis, Ignis, and Gladio in the distance. Just looking at them made her feel safe, but she knew that whatever was inside her was dangerous. She had to go.

Astra didn’t know from where the sudden strength came from, but she stood back on her feet. She began walking away into the forest without even turning around to look at them one last time. It was raining, and she was cold and bloody. She tried looking up at the sun to see how long she had until sunset, but the sky was too bright for her now. One wrong step, and mud swept her body down a hill and slammed her body into a boulder. Except it wasn’t a boulder. It was a monster.

The monster’s skin was hard and resembled any other rock. She could see dried blood and scars scattered across its entire body. Astra feared that would be the end of her, but the monster lowered its head out of fear and ran away. She knew that whatever the man did to her on the cliff was the cause for it. She was changing, and she couldn’t stop it.

Luckily for her, Astra found a small cave and dragged her tortured body inside. Inside, she saw sticks and bones; she had scared the monster enough for it to leave its own home behind. Astra rested her body on the furthest wall and watched as the rain poured on the outside. She wanted to start a fire, warm herself up. But, her body no longer answered her calls. She knew what came next and closed her eyes, allowing the rain to lull her to eternal sleep.

Chapter Text

“Chocobo, chocobo. I love chocobos! Chocobo, chocobo. I’m gonna ride a chocobo!” sang Prompto, skipping back the chocobo outpost.

Deadeye was dead, finally. It felt like it took longer tracking it down and getting to its lair than it did killing it. And no one died! Noctis couldn’t help but also look forward to riding one of the chocobos Prompto loved so dearly. They took their time walking back to the post, picking up useful trinkets and plants they found along the way. They would probably have to spend another night at the outpost, but Prompto was right about being able to ride his chocobo by the end of the day. 

Everything was going great until they neared the outpost. A body came rolling down a cliff and onto the street ways off from them. They all stood still, fearing that the body was dead. Ignis and Gladio looked at each other, but Noctis immediately looked at the shut off lights of the RV trailer, fearing his suspicions were true.

“What is that?” Gladio asked out loud.

The daemonic aura could be seen even from afar. Their eyes widened at the sight. A daemon could not be out during the  day, so what could that be? Ignis tried holding back Prompto who shook off his arm and walked forward only a few stops before realizing.

“That’s Astra…” said Prompto in a whisper.

Astra lay on the ground for what seemed like hours. She didn’t move. They feared the worst.

“There’s someone on the cliff!” yelled Gladio.

Noctis whipped his head to look at the cliff nearest to Astra. He could only make out the silhouette of a man that tipped his hat and then walked away. Noctis summoned his sword into his hand, but Gladio held his arm.

“Noctis!” yelled Gladio.

“He’s obviously the one who did that to her!” shouted Noctis.

“He’s not our priority,” said Ignis, with quiet anger and without meeting Noctis’ eyes. “You and Gladio prepare the bed and the potions. Prompto, you and I—”

“She’s gone!” Prompto told them. “I looked away for a second, and she…”

They all ran to the spot her body once lay. She was gone but had left a trail of blood for them to follow. Noctis took the lead as they walked into the forest. Gladio helped pick up the clues he missed before they were washed away by the rain. From the tracks, Noctis could tell Astra was severely injured and had no idea what she was doing. Following her trail, they walked in circles and arrived at a hill with skid marks; at the foot of the hill, there was a cave. Noctis carefully slid down the hill using the rain and mud to his advantage; the rest of the party followed.

The daemonic aura that surrounded Astra’s body now surrounded the cave. Noctis couldn’t even see into it. He couldn’t see her. Extending a hand into the daemonic aura, Noctis found that it avoided his touch. Seeing this, Prompto took a determined step into the cave but jumped back, yelling out of pain.

“The...the aura…” Prompt held his hand at his chest and sucked in his breath between his teeth. “...It wouldn’t let me in.”

Ignis took off his glove and slowly reached into the cave and into the daemonic aura. The aura burned his hand before he could even fully immerse it into the cave’s shadow. Ignis pulled his hand back before any more damage could be done, and although it was obvious he too was in pain, he bit his lip to hide the fear and anger.

“It appears only Noct is resistant,” Ignis said with heavy breathing.

Noctis reached back into the cave and saw once again how the daemonic aura avoided his touch. Before he fully immersed himself, Ignis called out to him once more.

“Noctis—”

“I’m not leaving her, Ignis!” shouted Noctis.

“I don’t want you to. Just…” Ignis lowered his head, not being able to hide the concern and fear anymore. “Get her back. From whatever the hell that is.”

Noctis was almost surprised, but he had always known how much Ignis cared for Astra. He nodded and spared one last look to his closest friends before allowing his figure and vision to be lost to the shadows and darkness.

By the time Noctis was able to see, he realized he was no longer in a cave. He was somewhere more familiar. He was in Insomnia, but it looked different. Buildings were destroyed. Some had collapsed, and some were on fire. What scared him the most was the fact that no one was there. It was a ghost town. He explored this strange city, attempting to find Astra or anyone really. He called out for life, but only his echoes replied despite the fact he felt himself being watched with every step he took. It wasn’t until he picked up a newspaper from the ground that he noticed what day it was. It was the day of the treaty signing. The day Insomnia fell. The day their father died.

Still holding the paper in his hands, Noctis heard familiar machinery from behind him. He turned to see a magitek engine, dropping down their robot infantry. Upon landing, they lined up and marched towards him. It seemed that even if Noctis didn’t know where he was, he still had to fight to survive. 

For some reason, Noctis found himself struggling to kill the robots. They were typically easy to kill, just annoying due to their numbers. But these robots were skilled fighters, capable of parrying his attacks. Nonetheless, it didn’t mean that he was weak, and Noctis disposed of the battalion.

“Why are you here?” asked a woman’s voice behind him. 

Without letting go of his weapon, Noctis turned around and pointed it to the woman. She was an adult woman with white hair and dark skin. She was dressed in odd yet majestic gold clothing with purple, red, and blue ornaments. Even from afar, Noctis could see her purple, no, lilac eyes and reflective freckles. She calmly held her hands at her side and stood still, watching him with wariness.

“Why are you here—” She asked again.

“Who are you? Where’s Astra?” shouted Noctis.

“Astra…” said the woman, observing Noctis. She tilted her head and looked to the side, trying to remember. Her eyes lit up when she looked into his eyes. “You are the Chosen. You are...Noctis? Astra’s kin?”

“Yeah. Now that you know, where’s my sister!?”

Their conversation was cut short when a loud mechanical thud came from behind the woman. The empire’ magitek engine dropped two mechas and a large daemon. Noctis didn’t know why, but he ran to stand between the woman and the enemies, readying his sword for his next attack. He didn’t trust the woman, but he also didn’t think she posed a danger to him. 

“This should not be happening,” she said quietly.

“Yeah. You’re telling me,” shot back Noctis.

The daemon charged towards them, and Noctis prepared for its attack. But before it ever reached them, the daemon crumbled into crystal like ash and faded from view entirely. The mechas followed in the same fashion. Without his permission, his weapon dematerialized from Noctis’ hand. He slowly turned around to see the woman lowering her hand as her eyes glowed in a familiar way.

“My name is Etro. Astra needs your help,” said Etro calmly.

Etro began walking down the street, expecting Noctis to follow, but he stood in his place.

“I don’t know you,” he told her.

“No, but I know Astra and where she is,” said Etro, turning to Noctis. “If you want to help her— save her, you must follow me.”

“How do I know you’re not the reason she needs saving?”

Etro furrowed her brows. Even in the shadows, she seemed to glow.

“I cannot prove what you ask, but my fate is tied to Astra’s,” answered Etro.

Noctis wanted to believe her. He couldn’t sense any lies from her, but he couldn’t bring himself to trust her yet. A monstrous and inhuman roar echoed throughout the entire city, shaking the ground. From the horizon, Noctis could see a daemon he had only read about in the reports about the frontline. 

“Is that a Diamond Weapon?” asked Noctis.

“Yes. Astra’s soul and mind are in disarray, fighting off the corruption,” answered Etro without looking away from Noctis. “I am already weakened and cannot face that creature. If you truly wish to save that child, you must come with me now.”

Behind Etro, a portal of light appeared. Noctis could not bear looking into it but watched as Etro stepped into it and disappeared. Without thinking about it as much as he should have, Noctis followed Etro.

Noctis thought it’d feel like when he entered the cave. Cold and damp. But going through the light portal felt warm and comforting. If what Etro said was true, he wondered if that’s how Astra always felt. If so, why did she always look and feel cold? When Noctis was able to see again, he noticed he was now at the Citadel’s front door, the same place Astra and her father saw him off. Etro was waiting for him on the steps, looking up at the Citadel’s towers.

“Why are we here? I thought you said you were taking me to Astra,” demanded Noctis.

Etro turned to Noctis, “I took us as close as we could get with my abilities. This plane of existence is where Astra’s mind and soul meet as one. The closer we get to the point of connection, the weaker my power is.”

“So all that chaos out there? That was the corruption?”

“In order to protect her connection, I retreated my powers to provide this building my divine providence. Inside lies Astra. If the corruption we saw outside were to reach her inside these walls...” Etro seemed to hate the idea just as much as Noctis. “Astra would be lost.”

The roaring from the city’s downtown sounded closer. Noctis turned around as if he expected the daemons and magitek infantry to already be behind him. Etro placed a hand on his shoulder to bring his attention back to her.

“We must hurry. Follow me,” said Etro as she walked up the stairs.

Noctis followed Etro up the stairs and into the Citadel. Unlike the rest of the city, the Citadel was untouched and in prime condition. Even the smell was just like he remembered. Noctis followed Etro who seemed to know the interior of his home just as well as he did. He knew where she was headed before she ever said anything.

“Why are we going to the throne room?” asked Noctis. 

Without even stopping or turning around, Etro answered, “Astra manifested her mind’s sanctuary as her home in Insomnia. To find Astra, we must go to the place she felt safest.”

“I’m not sure the throne room would count as safe,” said Noctis, arriving at the throne room doors. “Even I know just how many sleepless nights she went through because of what happened behind these doors.”

“The room itself wasn’t what provided her comfort,” answered Etro as the throne doors opened on their own. Noctis felt the cool air escape the throne room and brush past his face. Noctis ran his eyes over every corner and every shadow. The room looked brighter, but it didn’t seem to be coming from the windows. His eyes were drawn to the empty throne. It was odd not seeing his father there.

He walked up the stairs leading to the throne and let his hand follow the markings on the stair’s banister. He could make out every scratch and dent that had persisted throughout the years and lived on in Astra’s memory. Noctis stood directly before the throne and said nothing. Etro watched as his gaze persisted not on the throne but the spot beside it where Astra often stood. He stood in that spot and looked all around the room as if attempting to see through Astra’s own eyes.

“I wonder if she was ever scared. She never liked heights. Made it hard for her to learn how to warp,” said Noctis with a nostalgic smile. “And now, she's the best there is.”

Etro stood before the throne with a pensive gaze, “She was never afraid as long as she stood by his side.”

Noctis looked at the throne and then back to the spot he stood in, realizing where Astra now was. He grabbed the throne and began pushing it to the side. He didn’t care about the awful scraping he could hear or the permanent defiling marks that he created. Etro watched as he moved the throne completely aside to reveal a passage where the throne once stood. There were two intricately decorated doors, miniature versions of the doors Noctis had seen before when his father once took both he and his sister to visit when they were children.

“This…leads to the Crystal’s Chambers,” said Noctis to Etro.

She nodded, “Because of my nature, I am prohibited from aiding you directly. The most I could do was lead you in the right direction.”

“It doesn’t explain the chambers. And prohibited by who? I still don’t know who—”

“All will be revealed in due time.” Etro attempted to touch the door, but it repelled her touch. “Inside, you will find Astra and her most important memories. You must help her.”

Logic warned Noctis to distrust Etro, but everything else told him that she truly cared for Astra. Maybe it was the look in her eyes that reminded him of Astra or maybe it was the warmth. Noctis grit his teeth and turned his attention back to the door. “You sure she’s inside? Because if she isn’t, I’ll—”

“I know she is,” said Etro with a gentle smile. “It’s where we first met.”

Noctis wanted answers, but that could wait. Astra couldn’t. He touched the doors, and they expanded to the size he remembered them to be. Without warning, the doors slowly opened to reveal the Crystal’s chambers. The Crystal itself was in the center of the room and in Noctis’ direct line of sight. He looked back to Etro, but she shook her head, “Where you go, I cannot follow.”

He took in a deep breath and stepped inside the room. The only source of light came from the Crystal, and it appeared normal until Noctis noticed the glass mirrors that replaced the chamber’s walls, differing from the chamber's original structure. One by one, they lit up with images. Some had people he recognized, and others didn’t. There was a lot of Prompto, Noctis, and their dad. Noctis recognized the Kingsglaive uniforms the strangers wore in her memories and determined that she must have met them on the frontlines. Some showed happy images, and others didn’t. However, some of the mirrors didn’t light up. There were some with cracks and fuzzy images that Noctis couldn’t make out. It didn’t take long for him to realize that the mirrors represented the memories Etro mentioned earlier.

“Thought you said these were her most important memories,” yelled Noctis to Etro as he watched the fall of Insomnia in a mirror.

Etro stood outside only looking at Noctis, “They are. Tragedy is no exception.”

The room was round, and Noctis followed the memories lit on the walls to the latest one. The last mirror was completely shattered, and Noctis could barely make out his reflection. But wasn’t what caught his attention. It was who sat on the ground below the mirror, holding onto themselves so desperately and tightly.

It was Astra.

Chapter Text

Astra sat on the ground below her latest obscured memory. She hugged her legs with her arms and buried her head between them. Noctis couldn’t make out a sound. He could only drag his feet closer to her one step at a time. But Astra always saw him.

She slowly raised her head to meet his eyes. They were dull and void, and she didn’t attempt to hide it. The dark aura that surrounded the cave appeared to surround her.

“Why are you here?” asked Astra.

Noctis could barely gather his voice, “To save you.”

Astra rested her head on the wall behind her and laughed before returning back to her lifeless state, “No.”

“No?”

“No more, Noct. No more.” Astra didn’t even meet his eyes as her voice cried in a whisper. “This is it.”

“This? This is?”
“Whatever is happening to me is killing me. It’s changing me. I tried to stop it. Even slow it down. But I can’t, Noct.” She shrugged with tears in her eyes. “I can’t do it anymore...I’m just not strong enough.”

Noctis sat beside her. He couldn’t look at her anymore. Seeing her in that state hurt.

“I’m sorry, Noctis. I really am. I thought I was strong enough. That I could help. That I could do it.” Astra’s voice cracked with almost every word. “The corruption is taking me, and if it takes you to...you have to go. You have to go now and—”

“Do you think I came all this way for me to turn away just ‘cause you want me to!” Yelled Noctis.

“I don’t want you to. I need you to. Without you, the future is lost—”

“Without you, I’m lost!”

Only the faint echo of the mirror’s memories could be heard within their silence.

“I know that I’m not the best brother! And I know that I don’t show it but— I don’t think I can take losing you too,” cried Noctis quietly.

Astra didn’t answer. In the time she had spent lost in her own mind, she had made sure to spend as little time thinking about those she left behind. There were too many reasons why, but if she had to pick one, it was because it would simply hurt too much.

“Noctis, this corruption...I can’t—”

“You can’t! I know! But you’re not alone, Astra,” pleaded Noctis as he took her hand into his. “I know that you and Dad had your secrets— your burdens to bear. And I know that without him...all those things fell to you. But you still have me. I’m not a little kid. I’m your brother!”

Noctis squeezed Astra’s hand. Truthfully, he didn’t know if he had grabbed it to comfort her or comfort himself. “I know that you’ve been looking out for me since we were kids— the sacrifices you made. But you’re not just the princess of Lucis and King Regis’ firstborn. You’re also my sister,” said Noctis, holding back tears unlike his sister who didn’t hold back her own tears. She too couldn’t meet his eyes and looked to her mirrors of memories. Her eyes landed on the fall of Insomnia. Still holding her hand, Noctis said, “You’re not alone anymore, Astra. You never were. You always had Dad, me, Prompto, Ignis, Gladio— the list is surprisingly long.”

Astra couldn’t help but share a small smile. 

“You can trust me,” said Noctis. “Please.”

Astra looked back to her brother. It was obvious that he was holding back his tears. His eyes were red, and she could already see snot dripping out his nose. He still had the habit of obviously biting the inside of his cheek to avoid crying. To Astra, he looked just like he did when he was a child. The puffy, red eyes, the furrowed brows, and fiddling hands— all of it. He was her brother— her other half— so how could she not know what he felt. Astra used her sleeve to wipe the snot off his face.

“You really are helpless without me,” she said smiling. Embarrassed, Noctis moved his head away from Astra’s hand and wiped away his own snot. Astra brushed her fingers through Noctis’ hair. Something their mother used to do for them when they were younger. “Do you remember when we were children and you would sometimes sneak into my bed when you had a nightmare?”

Noctis shook his head with a smile, allowing the tears to fall out of his eyes. “No, that wasn’t me. You were the one who was practically plagued by them.”

“No, I don't think so?” 

“No, it was. I remember you scared the hell out of me one night, and I—”

“You thought I was a ghost.”

“You looked like a ghost! Your hair was a mess, and I couldn’t see your face.”

Noctis knew they probably should be talking about anything else— about more important things like how they’d be getting out of there or who Etro was. But he couldn’t help but follow the conversation. It had been so long since they last sat next to each. Even longer since they ever held each other out of comfort. Noctis was just so happy to have this moment with her even if it could be their last. The conversation changed but the sentiment carried. Even with tears occasionally escaping their eyes, they smiled and laughed without even noticing how the room was being engulfed by a white and gentle light that covered them all. Then the world went white.

There was a familiar warmth on Astra’s eyelids that comforted her as she regained consciousness. She felt the bed creak beneath her and heard the distant songs of birds. It felt like a perfect morning, but it was her body that ruined it all. Every inch of her felt sore. She willed her eyes open and let the sun blind her temporarily. Once her eyes regained their vision, Astra recognized the place she rested as the interior of the RV trailer located at the chocobo outpost. 

Astra rolled to her side and sat up on the bed. Before her feet could even touch the floor, Ignis ran into the trailer with surprised and expectant eyes. She smiled at him and held out her arm. Acting accordingly, Ignis reached out for her hand and helped her up.

“Well, that’s not a face you see everyday,” said Astra sarcastically as she rested her weight with Ignis.

“It’s not every day that I see someone overcome daemonic corruption,” replied Ignis.

Astra laughed weakly, “Right. That happened. Where’s Little Noct?”

“The two of you fell into a deep sleep two days ago. Noctis woke up yesterday.”

“He woke up before me?”

“Surprising, I know.”

Out of a new habit, Astra held her neck, noticing it lacked something. She looked up to Ignis with worry, but he was already holding onto her choker and necklace. Relief was just as instant as her worry. Without the need to exchange words, Ignis helped her put on the jewelry and helped Astra out the RV trailer. Noctis, Prompto, and Gladio were already outside, waiting for her. Prompto came to Astra’s other side and helped her sit down at the table as Ignis let go of her. Prompto’s firm was strong enough to carry her, and yet he handled her with delicacy. Once she was settled into her seat, everyone else sat down except Ignis. Ignis brought her a plate of food and then joined the rest of them. Even though it pained her body, Astra moved her arm to feed herself. One, two, three bites later. No one said a word. She felt like a zoo animal being watched so intently.

“No interview questions?” asked Astra.

The boys looked at each other and then at Astra. Before Astra woke up, there was an entire day that Noctis had gone through intense questioning. Thus, most of their questions were already answered. But there were still things they didn’t know.

“What were you even doing at the cliff?” asked Gladio. 

Ignis, who sat beside Gladio, violently elbowed his side. Gladio grunted out of pain and sat up nonchalantly.

“I felt something off since we first arrived here. He...someone was….” Astra’s voice died off as her eyes looked at the sky. She felt every hair stand up on her body and began to see two of everything. The sun was suddenly blinding and hot. But her nose felt cold and so did her hands. "There was someone...something….I can't- I can't remember. If I could just-"

"Astra!" Yelled Noctis.

She had been looking at her hands which didn't feel like hers and didn't notice how intently everyone else was looking at her. Noctis looked at Astra as if she had just spoken blasphemy, but it wasn't just Noctis who looked at her as if she were a ghost. Prompto appeared ready to jump to her side with a look of worry, and Ignis and Gladio appeared like petrified mummies. Astra felt a hot drip on her hand. Looking down, she saw it was blood.

She immediately raised her head towards the sky as she usually did whenever she had a nosebleed. Prompto scattered for a napkin and held it to Astra's nose as he delicately cupped the back of her head. Astra wiped the blood and kept the napkin at her nose as Prompto slowly sat back into his seat.

"Sorry. I don't-"

"Don't overdo it," said Gladio. "You were pretty much half dead when we got you."

"I know. I know. I felt it, but it's- I can't remember what happened. I remember leaving the post, going up the cliff. But everything after is...it's missing. Like someone tore it from me," said Astra with both sadness and anger, meeting their eyes.

Coughing away the small cry that threatened to escape, Ignis spoke, "What matters now is that you are safe AND that you will never be doing something that reckless on your own."

"I might not remember why but I'm pretty sure I wouldn't walk into a life-threatening situation without a good reason," argued Astra.

"That doesn't matter!" Prompto raised his voice to Astra. Something he never did. "You knew you were going to fight. You planned to stay behind-"

"I didn't plan to die."

"No one does!"

Astra couldn't bring herself to argue with him any longer. Even without her memories, she knew she had overestimated herself.

Gladio took it upon himself to change the conversation, "What we're trying to say is-"

"You were stupid," interrupted Noctis as Gladio threw his hands up in defeat. "More than usual.”

Astra bit her lip and silently nodded her head without looking at her brother in the eyes.

“Do you know how much of a pain it was to change your clothes?” asked Noctis.

Astra furrowed her brow as the corner of her lips twitched into a smile, “That is the answer to a question I was very afraid of asking. Still not sure I like the answer, though.”

“You should’ve seen us panicking,” laughed Gladio.

“We were a mess,” added Prompto.

“In more than one way,” finished Ignis.

Astra laughed even if it hurt. Even if she felt undeserving of their kindness and understanding.  She continued eating her breakfast as they filled her in on the details of how they took down the “nefarious Deadeye.” A part of her wondered why they didn’t pressure her for more details and why they didn’t ask what was going on through her mind. But the boys couldn’t. Not after seeing how the daemonic corruption nearly killed. Not after seeing the corruption be overtaken by Astra and Noctis’ power. They had already grilled all the answers they could get out of Noctis, and it was obvious that Astra was better off not remembering what she had gone through.

Ignis took Astra’s empty plate while everybody else picked up the table. Seeing Astra was getting up, Prompto offered her his arm for support. She kindly obliged. Over Prompto's shoulder, Astra saw a strange large yellow bird. 

"Is that...a chocobo?" Asked Astra.

A smile instantly spread across Prompto's face. Gleefully, Prompto spoke, "With Deadeye gone, the chocobos are back!"

"Is riding them as easy as they say?"

Prompto slowly shrugged.

"Wait...you haven't ridden a chocobo yet?"

"Of course not. That's something I wanted to do together." Prompto caught himself. " All-of-us type of together."

"He refused to even pet them," said Noctis, coming up behind Astra.

Flushed, Prompto turned away from Astra’s gaze and smile.

"Astra," called out Noctis in an almost whisper. "Do you know someone named Etro?"

This is the one question that had been eating at Noctis. He could only vaguely remember what happened inside Astra's mind, but Etro's existence was unforgettable. Noctis had discussed his dream-like encounter with his faithful retinue, but even they had never heard of such a strange woman. Ignis theorized it was Astra's consciousness personified as a helper. At long last after Astra woke up, Noctis was hoping to get some answers, but he could see the answer in his sister's eyes before she spoke.

"I've never heard the name," answered Astra, shaking her head. "Why? Did something else happen while I was out?"

Even Prompto was intrigued by Astra's answer.

"No, it's nothing," replied Noctis.

Astra was born with Noctis and knew him like the back of her hand. She could see there were things he had to say but let it go, noticing he probably wouldn’t be able to provide her with answers either. With Prompto's help, Astra walked away to see the famed chocobos up close. Prompto informed Astra how to approach a chocobo in great detail to avoid her getting hurt any further, but she could hardly understand him when he was excited. 

Noctis watched from afar as Astra smiled and laughed. Despite having just woken up from a two day coma, Astra somehow looked better than she did before. Her dark circles were almost entirely gone. Her newest set of fresh wounds had healed faster than normal, and her walk seemed lighter. She looked happier—no, she was happier. And Noctis couldn’t take that from her.

Chapter Text

As the morning went by, Astra could feel her body feel more and more like her own. It wasn’t until she was done with breakfast that she noticed the clothes she was wearing belonged to Noctis; he said her clothes were too complicated and decided to use his pants and shirt instead. Everything was big on her but she was able to solve it by tying both the shirt and the pants individually so they wouldn’t fall off her shoulders or hips. The pounding in her head faded into her memories, and she was able to enjoy her chocobo experience. The bitter aftertaste of the health potions she hated lingered in her mouth; Ignis had snuck them into her food. They had all rented chocobos and freely used the outpost's track for their pleasure.

“You seem to be enjoying yourself,” said Ignis to Prompto.

Unlike Astra who preferred to leisurely ride her bird, Prompto took his running and jumping off and on the track. Noctis and Gladio would occasionally do the same, but Ignis stayed behind at Astra's side. He truly was the mothering type.

"How could I not? I've wanted to see one since I was a kid, and now I'm even riding one!" Answered Prompto with a laugh.

"Astra, tell me I'm not the only one seeing some resemblance between Prompto and chocobos?" Asked Noctis as he slowed down to ride at her side.

"I do not!"

Astra looked at her bird and back at Prompto who expectantly awaited her answer. She tilted her head and looked at both Prompto and the chocobo from different angles, stretching out the time.

"It's the hair, right?" She finally answered.

Prompto shook his head while everyone else laughed.

"But you’re not too far off yourself, Noct. You look like an emo chocobo,” continued Astra.

This time, Prompto joined in the laughter as Noctis’ own laugh died out. He glared at Astra who purposely avoided his gaze with a mischievously proud smile. The party continued on the tracks and appreciated the scenery. Noctis continued to attempt to convince Astra of how unlike his hair was to a chocobo, but it only made matters worse. As they ventured on the track, Astra found sudden movement in the bushes. She hastily stopped her chocobo, surprising the rest of the boys who had already passed her up. Astra remained still, hoping her yellow bird wouldn’t scare off whatever was hiding in the bushes. Now at her side along with the rest of the boys, Noctis and his bird stood closely at her side, attempting to see what she saw.

“What are we looking at?” asked Prompto.

Noctis was almost surprised at the simplicity of his answer, “Just some monsters.”

“Aren’t they awfully close to the outpost?” asked Astra.

Being the last to arrive, Gladio spoke up, “I mean, the tracks are probably the least well-guarded part of this place.”

“But now with Deadeye’s absence, it will once again be the most used part of the outpost.” Ignis added, turning to Astra. “I assume you want to take care of them?”

“I could use the exercise,” answered Astra.

They each dismounted from their chocobo and carefully approached the monsters, hiding behind some nearby bushes. It was a horde of Voretooths. They were monsters who prowl on all fours. Voretooths were known for its long muzzle that could not contain it’s even longer tongue.

“I can’t even see its eyes,” said Astra.

“Yeah, they blend in with the rest of the head,” added Prompto.

“When was the last time the two of you fought side by side?” asked Gladio, looking at Astra and Noctis.

“Us? Well…” Astra’s voice died off.

“We barely ever trained together,” realized Noctis. “Our schedules never matched up.”

“They would have if you didn’t sleep your way into the afternoon.”

“Wait! So you’re saying that even though you both have magic and are crazy good fighters and lived together, you’ve never actually fought together?” asked Prompto.

Noctis and Astra looked at each other blankly. “We’ve fought each other?” mentioned Noctis.

“That was a while back though. Before I went to the frontlines. I’m stronger now—” boasted Astra.

“Then, you two handle it,” interrupted Gladio.

Noctis and Astra looked at each other then at the horde of Voretooths mere steps away. Shrugging, Astra said, “Well, it’s not like it’s an army of magitek robots. This should be easier.”

“Have you ever fought Voretooths before? Or just monsters, in general?” asked Noctis.

“I’ve fought...some. Shouldn’t matter too much. I can guess where the heart is, and I know where to find the neck.”

“So you don’t know about their venomous tails?”

Astra blinked blankly, “I do now.”

“Astra, it took months for the four of us to coordinate our attacks to fight together, and that was in Insomnia. You know the empire, I know monsters,” said Noctis. “Just follow my lead, and you’ll be fine.”

“Noctis, our fighting styles are too different for me to follow you. You’ll only slow me down. Hitting things faster than they can counter is my thing. You just hit hard.”

“I don’t just hit hard !”

“We’re getting nowhere,” said Gladio right before pushing both Astra and Noctis out of the comfort of their bushes.

Astra fell onto her knees, and beside her, Noctis fell on his back. They both felt an intense heaving sound above their heads and slowly looked up to see a Voretooth looking down on them as if they were supper. Before the monster could strike, Astra and Noctis warped away from its attack; meanwhile, Gladio, Prompto, and Ignis remained hiding behind the bushes.

“Are you sure that was a good idea?” asked Prompto in a whisper.

Barely holding back his laughter, Gladio answered, “I call it immersive learning.”

Astra and Noctis summoned their weapons into their hands. Noctis had a polearm while Astra wielded her sword. Despite not standing near each other, they each prepared for an attack and waited for the other to make the first move. 

“Voretooths are weaker to polearms!” yelled Noctis from across one side of the horde of monsters.

Adopting her fighting stance, Astra answered, “I don’t like using it without a good enough reason.”

Noctis rolled his eyes and attacked the Voretooth nearest to him. Astra did the same on her side. Noctis couldn’t deny the fact that he felt the absence of his usual team who were always ready to have his back. On the other hand, Astra was handling herself as well as she could considering the unfamiliarity of her foe, but it was not good enough. At least, not in Gladio’s eyes.

“They’re doing pretty good,” said Prompto.

“But they’re not fighting like a team!” corrected Gladio.

Ignis surveyed the field and nodded, “They’re both too used to having others catch up to them.”

Astra threw her sword towards a Voretooth she saw was running towards the bushes where her friends hid. As she warped to the sword now etched onto the monster’s back, Astra felt time slow down as she saw her body narrowly avoid Noctis’ warp lunge towards her prey, and she teleported away before she too was hit by Noctis’ attack. She didn’t have enough time to prepare her landing after her warp and instead hit a nearby tree with her back to slow her down.

“Watch where you’re going!” yelled Noctis.

“My sword was there first!”

But Noctis wasn’t paying attention to her anymore; he was already off fighting the next monster. She looked at the bushes where she saw Gladio glaring and Prompto’s eyes widened to something behind her. Astra dodged and stabbed the Voretooth that attempted to attack her from behind and once again joined the fight like Noctis. Dodging the Voretooth’s venomous tail was easier with warping. But even then, Astra found herself struggling to handle so many monsters at once. The way they behaved and moved was too different from the enemies Astra was used to; admitting Noctis was right even in her head bruised her pride. Luckily for her, she was able to conjure her magical shield to protect herself whenever dodging wasn’t an option. 

In the end, Astra had to use more than her sword to finish off the rest of the Voretooths, but she never summoned her polearm. Done with her own monsters, she turned to Noctis who was taking care of the last Voretooth. The Voretooth had Noctis pinned against a tree with its forefront legs, and Noctis showed no signs of escaping its grasp on his own. Seeing the monster’s tail rise to strike a pinned down Noctis, Astra threw her sword towards the Voretooth and cut its tail off. It screeched out in pain, and Noctis used the moment to push the monster away from his face. But the monster kept Noctis within its grasp. There was a small gap between Noctis, the Voretooth, and the ground that Astra set her eyes on. Astra summoned her dual daggers and waited for the right moment.

“Woah,” said Prompto. “They kinda look like yours, Iggy!”

“That’s because those were once mine,” replied Ignis without taking his eyes off Astra.

Gladio chimed in, “Ignis gave them to her for her 14th birthday.”

Astra could hear the murmuring coming from the bushes but didn’t focus enough to hear what they were saying. She threw one of the daggers in the space between Noctis and the Voretooth. As the dagger passed underneath the Voretooth, Astra warped to it and used the dagger to cut across the monster’s underside as she slid across the ground. The Voretooth shrieked, and Astra threw one of her daggers back towards the Voretooth. But Astra’s aim wasn’t the Voretooth. Noctis caught her dagger mid-air and lodged it into the monster’s neck, cutting across to finish the kill. The Voretooth fell off Noctis with no breath left in its chest. On the other hand, Noctis and Astra were panting for more. Astra walked to Noctis who handed over her dagger.

“That last move wasn’t too bad,” said Noctis.

“Couldn’t have done it if it weren’t you and your helplessness,” replied Astra as she dematerialized her daggers.

“This is why I don’t say nice things.”

From behind another set of bushes, an odd grunt was heard by both Astra and Noctis. They turned their bodies to the sound, and a strange and unfamiliar monster ran out straight to them. It was about the same size as the Voretooths but much slower. Neither sibling needed to warp to dodge its attempted attack. The siblings observed the new monster as it ran past them. Astra had never seen that monster before.

“What is that?” asked Astra. “Looks like a mix of a Behemoth and a Kujata.”

“Doesn’t a Behemoth already look like a bigger and uglier version of a Kujata?” countered Noctis.

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen either of them,” replied Astra as Noctis stared at her. “What? I’ve seen pictures.”

“Well, whatever it is. It’s coming back.”

The unfamiliar monster locked eyes with the siblings. Its intent to kill was obvious. Properly observing the monster’s features, Astra watched as it menacingly walked on four limbs and swung its tail every which way without caring for the bushes or trees; the monster’s horns looked small, as if they had just begun to grow.

“You’ve killed a behemoth before, and this one looks like its cousin. So, how do we kill it?” asked Astra to Noctis.

“I kinda just set it on fire while everyone else drew its attention,” answered Noctis.

“Not that I don’t love the idea of being bait, but setting a forest on fire doesn’t sound like a good idea.”

“Then what do you suggest?”

Astra shrugged, “Hit it hard. Hit it fast.”

Noctis summoned his sword into his hand, “I don’t just hit hard.”

“Yeah, whatever,” ignored Astra as she summoned her sword. “Let’s just get this done in one shot.”

“What? You needed more?”

Astra ignored her brother and readied her stance. This time, she felt that she could determine the path Noctis would take, and Noctis felt the same. They may have not fought properly as one earlier, but after spending a fight alongside each other, they knew they could handle landing one hit together. They dashed forward, straight to the monster. Being smaller and more nimble, Astra went low, and Noctis went high. In technical terms, it took two individual hits for the monster to die. Noctis struck the monster’s head as Astra hit its belly. The monster collapsed and showed no signs of ever getting back up.

“You satisfied?” asked Noctis, turning to the bushes his friends hid.

Gladio didn’t say and only grumbled as he and the rest of the boys stood out from their bushy cover.

“I think Gladio means to say that although you successfully killed the monsters, your teamwork leaves much to be desired,” said Ignis.

“Hey! I’ve worked in teams before,” reasoned Astra.

“So the problem is me?” asked Noctis.

“You were the one who almost killed me—”

Their conversation was interrupted by a loud and deep inhuman growl. Astra could feel the vibrations underneath her feet as if the earth were quaking. They each looked at each other, hoping for someone to pitch in with a reason for the sound. Soon enough, their curiosity’s questions were answered as a shadow loomed over all of them, blocking the light of the sun. Noctis turned his head upward to see a familiar beast.

“Why does that look familiar?” asked Prompto in a fearful tone.

“Cause it is,” replied Astra. She could recognize the monster’s physique. It had a long tail that it could barely lift and instead dragged across the ground and horns that  extended forward and  far beyond its head. However, this monster was older and bigger, reaching past the tallest tree nearby. Pointing to the dead corpse of the last monster she and Noctis killed, Astra sighed, “It’s the mom.”

“And it knows who killed its child,” added Ignis.

Chapter Text

The mother beast let out an unearthly screech, preparing itself for battle. Unlike its child, the mother beast didn’t run towards them and instead quickly turned around, allowing its tail to do the damage. Fortunately, they were all able to avoid the beast’s tail and the trees it unearthed. Astra and Noctis both eyed the empty field past the beast and nodded to each other. Through the monster’s large legs that provided her ample space, Astra warped past the monster, and Noctis drew its attention to lead it to the empty field where Astra would already be waiting. Ignis and Prompto summoned their weapons and prepared to enter the fray, but Gladio held them both back.

With a proud and yet mischievous smile, Gladio spoke, “Let’s see how this plays out.”

Astra and Noctis didn’t even notice their friends’ absence since they had their hands full. Noctis dragged its attention to the empty field, and Astra made sure the monster didn’t even think about turning around.

“Now might be a good time to summon your polearm,” yelled Noctis as he dodged the monster’s tail.

“I was already planning on that!” replied Astra as she replaced her sword with her polearm.

The two siblings only dodged as they circled around the monster. They attacked it with their weapons, but it didn’t produce the desired effect of death. As he dodged the tail once more, Noctis was able to recognize the strange pattern on the monster’s backside and tail. 

“I remember what this monster is!” yelled Noctis to Astra who had just finished an attack on the monster’s head.

“Well, what is it?” She asked as soon as she landed back on the ground safely.

“It’s called a Kompul, distant relatives of the behemoths—”

“So, fire?”

Astra dematerialized her polearm and summoned her magical fire into her hand instead. Oddly enough, her fire always felt cool, and her ice always felt hot. She stood still attempting to gather the power in her hand, but the monster took notice of her disadvantageous state. Instead of wacking her with its tail, the monster faced her and opened its mouth, allowing a blaze of fire to escape its lips. Astra conjured a shield last minute that was too weak to stand the fire, but Noctis pulled her out of the danger.

“Why didn’t you tell me it breathed fire?” yelled Astra as they both hid behind a boulder.

“You didn’t let me finish! It’s a distant relative! Distant!” yelled back Noctis. “It’s resistant to fire ‘cause it breathes fire!”

“Well, that’s lovely.”

“Yeah, and it has two hearts,” said Noctis, peeking out from the boulder to see the mother beast look for them. “We have to strike both of them to kill it right.”

“The kid wasn’t this much of a headache.”

“Well, it was a kid,” said Noctis. “It’s weak against polearms and ice. We can use that to pierce its hearts.”

Astra nodded in understanding and warped away from the boulder’s protection along with Noctis. Unlike Astra, Noctis had to use flasks to store his elemental magic in because he always preferred playing with his weapons rather than his magic; Astra honed her magic when she worked with the Kingsglaive. Both siblings attacked the beast with their polarms and glacier magic, but it only seemed to make the monster uncomfortable instead. Their hits weren’t strong enough to pierce through the Kompul’s thick skin. Noctis hadn’t mastered his abilities yet, and Astra still couldn’t overexert herself. They were forced to warp back to the boulder.

“My hits aren’t getting through,” said Noctis.

“Same here,” replied Astra. “Skins too thick, and I can’t overdo it.”

“Freezing its legs only holds it in place for a few seconds,” Noctis told Astra, but she wasn’t paying attention and was instead looking at the Kompul. “Are you listening to me?”

Her attention left the Kompul’s horns and turned to Noctis. She answered, “You can summon more than one weapon at once right?”

“Yeah?”

Pointing to the Kompul’s horns, Astra spoke, “Can you freeze your polearm onto its horns?”

Noctis could already envision Astra and shook his head. “Are you crazy? It’ll just burn you to a crisp!”

“I’ll just be faster than that, and besides, you’re gonna keep its attention on you.”

“So, I’m bait?”

“I’m the one getting close and personal!”

Noctis shook his head but appeared to be warming up to her plan.  He looked at the monster and then at Astra. “Then, what? You go high, I go low?”

“You already know,” winked Astra. “It’s skin will be weakened, and the rest is history.”

After shaking his head one last time, Noctis warped away from the boulder and towards the Kompul. He toyed with its attention, jumping from one side to another. With his polearm in hand, he warped to the monster’s horns and attached his polearm with a magical ice flask. Before the Kompul could burn him, Noctis warped away, leaving the polearm firmly attached across one of the monster’s horns to the other by his magical ice.

“What are they doing?” asked Prompto as he and the rest of the boys watched from a safe distance.

“Since it appears Astra is the one who came up with the plan—” began Ignis.

“Something crazy probably,” finished Gladio.

Astra joined the fray and drew its attention as Noctis landed safely and summoned his sword. The Kompul’s eyesight was already obstructed by both its own horns and Noctis’ polearms, making it easy for Astra to distract it. Astra warped to the top of the monster’s head, and its attention was redirected to Noctis who was doing a phenomenal job as bait. Noctis threw a magical flask of ice towards the Kompul’s throat, and even on its head, Astra could feel the chill as it erupted. Astra used this opportunity and warped to Noctis’ polearm, conveniently placed on the Kompul’s horns. Hanging on with one hand, she waited for the monster to open its mouth. When it did, she placed her arm inside and summoned her polearm, piercing through the beast and keeping its mouth open. She could hear Prompto and Gladio audibly react to the scene from afar.

Hanging onto Noctis’ frozen polearm with one hand, Astra used her other hand to send an immense wave of ice magic straight into the Kompul through its throat. Her own polearm remained unaffected as her weapons were made to withstand her magic. The Kompul could not breathe its deathly fire onto the ice, and instead, it began to slowly freeze over from the inside out, weakening its skin and hearts.

“It’s working!” yelled Noctis, almost surprised.

Astra kept freezing. She could see two faint red balls of light glow from within the Kompul as its skin began to freeze over. She kept going, hoping to slow down its heart too, but the monster could still move even if its fiery breath and armoured skin was taken from it. The Kompul ran straight into the side of a cliff at full speed. The impact of the hit made Astra lose her grasp from Noctis’ polearms. But her work was done, and Noctis realized that too. They each summoned back their weapons from the Kompul’s body and prepared for the finishing move.

The Kompul raised its front legs, readying to kill Astra when she touched the ground, but she never did. After summoning her sword and throwing it above the Kompul, Astra warped away, and Noctis came rushing in, ready to strike the Kompul when it least expected it. Overhead, Astra summoned her bow and took aim. Both siblings simultaneously struck the heart that was visually closest to them, killing it instantly. 

Astra warped back to the ground beside Noctis at the same time the monster collapsed. Without their weapons in hand, the siblings stood in silence, looking at their fallen prey. Distant clapping could be heard approaching them followed by someone else cheering. The two turned to look at the rest of their friends.

“You guys did better than I thought,” said Gladio as he stopped clapping.

“You don’t get to say that. None of you do,” said Astra, pointing to Prompto who stopped cheering.

“What were you guys doing while we fought for our lives?” asked Noctis.

“Overseeing you,” replied Ignis.

Noctis and Astra looked at each other, obviously mocking Ignis telepathically.

“But you guys did it! You killed the monsters,” said Prompto, attempting to cheer them up.

Crossing his arms like a proud father, Gladio spoke, “And you did it as a team. Little late about it, but you did it, either way.”

“How did you even think about freezing the Kompul from the inside out, Astra?” asked Prompto.

Ignis laughed, “When it comes to Astra, she believes the best way to approach a fight is the most direct way.”

“Not always, but it worked,” reasoned Astra.

“Anyways, not that exercising with you kids isn’t fun, but we should probably head out if we want to make it to Lestallum before night,” said Gladio. “I like camping, but I would also like to see my sister too.”

“You didn’t even do anything—”

Ignis interrupted Noctis, “Gladio is right. Besides, the weather does not seem too kind and we still need to pass by the Disc.”

“Need to?” asked Noctis sarcastically.

Astra had no idea what they were talking about. As far as she knew, they were heading straight to Lestallum. Or maybe not? Noticing her confusion, Prompto approached her, “We were talking about the Disc while you were, you know, out. Ignis wanted to visit, and Noct said it’d be fine.”

Astra sniffed the air and slightly raised her arm. An action she immediately regretted with embarrassment. Turning to Ignis, she asked, “I wouldn’t be able to take a shower before we left, would I?”

“Afraid I’ve already checked us out,” answered Ignis.

“What? You’re telling me you took daily showers at the frontlines?” asked Gladio, placing his arm on Astra’s head. “Besides, we’ll be on Lestallum by the end of the day. Iggy won’t take long at the Disc.”

Astra shook off Gladio’s arm and stretched out her shirt. “So you’re telling me I have to change out of Noctis’ clothes in the bathroom?”

They had clearly forgotten the clothes she wore weren’t hers. Prompto spoke up, “You could just keep them. It won’t even be for a day.”

“Besides, you already stunk it up with your sweat,” added Noctis.

Astra only glared and turned around, “Then let’s go. The faster we reach Lestallum, the faster I can take off these clothes.”

Already ahead of everyone, Astra walked without looking back to the corpses of monsters they left behind. Noctis and Prompto both ran up to catch up to her, but only Noctis hit her on the back as a “pat.” She raised her hand to hit him but stopped, satisfied with only seeing him flinch, and Prompto laughed at the siblings. Noctis regained his composure as if nothing happened, “The whole ‘freezing-the-monster-from-the-inside’ thing wasn’t too bad.”

Astra pretended that didn’t make her happy, “You weren’t too bad either. As bait.”

Noctis sighed, knowing that was as close as either of them would get to a proper compliment. Gladio and Ignis watched closely behind, laughing at the siblings’ dynamic and banter. Prompto hummed all the way back to their chocobos; the loyal birds had miraculously not been scared away. They rode them back to the outpost and bid their goodbyes to both the birds and Wiz, promising to come again, mainly for Prompto. They were finally back on the road. First stop, the Disc of Cauthess.

Chapter Text

The ride to the Disc of Cauthess was a lot calmer than the Astra’s ride to the chocobo post. She could remember being fearful and worried but couldn’t recall about what; regardless of the reason, she felt safer now. The weather was more than pleasant but the slamming wind felt brutal. None of it stopped Ignis from giving everyone a brief history on the Disc of Cauthess the entire way there. The Disc of Cauthess is the impact site of a meteor that fell onto the land of Lucis during the age of gods. However, it is said the meteor never hit the ground and that Titan the Archaean, an Astral god, caught it before it could decimate the life that lived then. According to the same story, Titan now slumbers beneath the meteor even to this day. The citizens of Duscae, the region the meteor landed in, realized the untapped potential the meteor had and have since used it to harness energy that powers the entire region.

“It’s an admirable story of humanity’s ability to turn something disastrous into something good,” finished Ignis.

“Kinda feel sad about Titan, though,” added Prompto.

Astra moved some of her hair out of her face, “He’s not dead. Just sleeping.”

“Still, imagine having to leave everything you love behind and let time move on without you.”

Astra didn’t say anything else, but Gladio chipped in, “Better than everyone dead.”

Noctis sat up on his seat as he saw the Disc up close. They were only moments away from seeing the Disc, Titan’s resting place. From this distance, Astra could see the smoke escaping the crystal like shards that connected to the meteor hidden behind walls and out of sight. She remembered how it looked at night, how it glowed blue and red, and how it appeared like a lighthouse made of mystical fire. She had to admit it was beautiful. Dangerous things often are.

“What’s that up ahead?” asked Prompto, pointing to the Disc’s attraction gate.

Astra stood up inside the car to get a better look to see the gate’s doors were closed. “Don’t tell me you chose to visit on their day off? You guys didn’t check their schedule?”

No one answered.

“Typical.”

“Ignis is the one that wanted to come,” argued Noctis.

“Calm down,” said Ignis as he parked the car at the gate. “I did check. The Disc must be closed for other reasons.”

Everyone left the car and stood outside the gates, attempting to catch a glimpse at what was on the other side through the small gaps offered. It was quiet. Eerily quiet.

“Do you think they’ll open up if I knock?” asked Astra to Noctis.

Noctis scoffed, “Sure. And they’ll hold your coat.”

The gate’s doors suddenly began to open. A loud metallic sound could be heard from the other side. Astra could recognize it. She summoned her sword out of instinct, and the rest of the boys looked at her like she was crazy. But that look didn’t last long when they saw the magitek robots and mech come through the gate. It didn’t take long for the boys to summon their own weapons.

Astra and Noctis landed the first hits with their warping abilities. The rest of the boys soon joined the fray. With now one fight under their belt as a team, Noctis and Astra were able to work together with ease and were able to kill the enemies faster than they would have if they were on their own. Being the first time she saw them fighting together on the field, Astra could see how skilled Noctis and his friends were; they had coordinated attacks that complimented each other. Furthermore, she could see they had fought magitek robots and mechs before.

“How are we, Astra?” asked Ignis as she helped him finish off a magitek robot. “How does this do as a replacement for your daily morning training?”

“I think I had my fair share earlier today,” replied Astra.

“Astra!” Noctis yelled. With all the magitek robots gone, all of their firepower was now focused on the mecha. Noctis didn’t need to say much, “Legs!”

Throwing her sword towards one of the two mecha’s legs, Astra warped to it and released an intense wave of lightning. It shattered instantly, probably thanks to all the damage Gladio had been laying on it. Noctis and Prompto coordinated an attack and finished off the other leg. But even without its legs, the mecha was kicking. It shot out missiles towards the Prompto and Astra. Astra warped her way through the raining hellfire but saw Prompto struggling. She warped to him and pushed him out the way as the rest of the group finished off the mecha. Ignis and Gladio frowned at the mecha even though it was dead.

“What is it?” asked Astra as she approached them with Prompto.

“The pilot,” said Gladio. “It’s a robot.”

Mechas were typically driven by human pilots. Astra could only assume the empire recognized the need for a human element, but instead in the pilot's seats, there was a dead magitek robot. 

“That’s not normal,” pointed out Prompto. “But at least it means the empire made their tech dumb enough for a robot to pilot.”

“Or they made their robots smarter and capable of managing their tech,” added Astra.

No one seemed to like the idea and much less like the fact that Astra put it in their minds.

“Or not? You never know,” said Astra.

“Either way, we should go. Reinforcements may be here soon,” mentioned Ignis.

“We can think about this in Lestallum,” said Gladio.

The crew left the empire’s enemy remains and entered the Regalia to leave the Disc. The sun was already setting and Astra was beginning to fear they would have to camp. But after a turn and over a hill, she saw the distant lights of Lestallum. They passed through a tunnel and were sent directly into Lestallum. Somehow, the air felt warmer and the ambience, even as it neared night, felt lively. Astra saw the palm trees she had only ever seen in pictures. The city had a rustic aesthetic that kept its traditional touches.

“Wow!” said Prompto, almost jumping out of his seat. “They have a cable car!”

“This place is pretty big,” observed Noctis.

“Been a while since I enjoyed the city life,” said Gladio.

Astra laughed, “You mean, it’s been a while since you last flirted with every girl that smiled at you?”

“I haven’t done that with you. You’re not my type.”

“And your boss amongst other things!”

“That didn’t stop me when I worked with—”

Ignis cut in, “We should ride the cable car while we’re still in town.”

“Yeah. I love cable cars,” added Noctis immediately.

Ignis parked the car and everyone left except Astra. Astra remained staring at Gladio with a mixed look of contempt and disgust. Gladio sarcastically offered her a hand and helped her out of the car.

“You have no respect for the workplace,” said Astra to Gladio.

Gladio placed an arm around her shoulders and practically rested his entire weight on her body, “Live a little. We’re in the city!”

Gladio dragged Astra along, but she escaped his grasp, messing her hair up. Gladio only glanced back and laughed when he saw Astra frowning and attempting to fix her hair. Ignis and Noctis joined Gladio and laughed at the banter they had just witnessed as Prompto helped Astra fix her hair. They made their way into the heart of the city. Slowly, the city’s lights began to turn on, and the moon replaced the sun in the sky. The children left the streets, and in their stead the working women and men came out to play. Gladio had received a message earlier about the hotel Iris was staying in; it was called the Leville. 

Astra enjoyed walking through the busy night life. No one paid attention to her and the rest of her friends. She could smell enticing food from every corner, but she also felt the intense heat Lestallum was known for. She could understand why many women only wore their uniform’s pants and undershirt as they roamed the city. It was easy to find the Leville since it was the only hotel in Lestallum. Right before they entered the hotel, the ground shook, making everyone feel the unfamiliar tremors vibrate throughout their bodies. But Astra could feel a sudden and intense prick in her head.

“Woah, you guys feel that?” asked Prompt.

“It’s an earthquake. Lestallum’s known for ‘em,” explained Gladio.

Astra noticed she wasn’t the only one suffering a little more than expected as the earth finished shaking. Noctis shook his head and blinked several times, trying to will his pain away.

“What’s wrong?” asked Ignis to Noctis.

Noctis shook his head, “My head just started throbbing.”

“You alright?” asked Prompto.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“Did the ground shaking make your head hurt?” asked Gladio.

“Guess so.”

“Could be a sort of seismic shock to your system,” said Ignis. “Interesting.”

Noctis ignored his pain and continued on, entering the hotel’s entrance. They waited in the hotel’s lobby; Gladio said Iris would meet them soon. Meanwhile, Astra took a look around the room and at the magazines offered. Lestallum sure did love their food. She could smell it even from the hotel and felt her stomach ache for food. Astra could hear hurried footsteps come down the hotel’s stairs and soon saw the ever-happy Iris come down the stairs.

“Gladdy!” exclaimed Iris with glee. But she didn’t rush to hug him. Instead, Astra found her body enveloped by Iris’ surprisingly strong arms. “Astra! I was so worried for you!”

Patting her head, Astra smiled, “It’s nice to see you made it here in one piece!”

“Look at you guys, holding your own out there. Not too surprising from Astra, but still,” said Iris as she let go of Astra.

Gladio was visibly upset at his sister’s rather indifferent attitude but remained “cool.” 

“What can I say? You look good though,” said Prompto.

“All things considered. You guys are staying here, right?” asked Iris.

“Pretty sure here’s the only option,” answered Astra.

Iris laughed, “Well, when you have the time, there’s a lot of catching up to do.”

First order of business was getting a room. Fortunately, the Leville had one last room available with two beds, just enough for them all. Besides, it’s not like the RV trailer wasn’t a tight fit with five people staying in it. They brought their luggage from the car to the room and settled in. Astra thanked the Astrals for the hotel’s A/C. When Iris came to the room, she bought two more familiar faces: one young, one old.

“Jared! Talcott!” exclaimed Gladio. “It’s good to see you.”

Jared Hester served House Amicitia as a loyal chamberlain for most of his life; he was no grey with wrinkles at the age of 71. Talcott was Jared’s eager and young grandson left in his care after his parent’s regrettable early death. Even then, Talcott remained a happy and cheerful boy.

“Prince Noctis! Iris is safe with me,” said Talcott with a salute.

“Please excuse my grandson. He has yet to learn his manners,” said Jared with a slight bow. Upon raising his head, his eyes met Astra’s with sorrow. 

“I like it,” admitted Nocits. Probably because Talcott remind him of himself when he was younger.

“Your Highness is very kind, but we won’t impose any longer,” said Jared as he turned to Astra. “Princess Astra, it is good to see you have escaped the city.”

Astra nudged Noctis’ shoulder, “This kid’s helpless without me.”

“Might this be your luggage?” Without permission or warning, Talcott took up Astra’s duffel bag.

“You can put that in my room,” said Iris. Astra tried reaching forward to stop Talcott from taking her luggage, but Gladio held her back. Iris closed the door once they were gone. “You weren’t going to sleep here were you?”

Astra shrugged, “Thought so. I’ve already been stuck with them at night for a while now.”

Tired from all of the day’s events, everyone sat down, including Iris. Astra found comfort on the ground instead of a chair or the bed. She could see Noctis tense and firmly hold his hands together.

“So, Iris, what was it like inside the city?” asked Noctis.

Everyone was surprised. Even Astra. Not one did Noctis even drop hints he was curious about what happened inside Insomnia when it fell. Iris glanced at Astra, clearly confused. A part of Astra felt offended he didn’t ask her that question, but the other part of him realized it was because he knew she wouldn’t tell him the truth. At least, not all of it.

“Well...it wasn’t pretty. The Citadel took a heavy beating,” answered Iris. “But a lot of the outlying neighborhoods made it out in one piece!”

“The empire had tactical targets in mind. But that wouldn’t be possible without…” Ignis’ voice died off as he turned to Astra, fearing his thoughts were true.

“An inside man,” finished Astra. “The Kingsglaive was compromised.”

The entire room fell into shock, excluding Iris who only lowered her head.

“What do you mean? Why didn’t you tell us this?” argued Noctis.

“Because that would just make it hard for you to trust people and make new alliances. Alliances we need ,” explained Astra. “I have more than enough cynicism and mistrust for us all.”

No one could counter her argument. She was right. Noctis could barely trust himself. Trusting others would also prove to be a challenge. Unable to withstand the silence, Iris spoke to Noctis, “You know, if you ever need anything, you can count on me.”

“Yeah,” said Noctis quietly. “Thanks.”

But Iris seemed to be holding something back, and Noctis could tell, “What is it?

“It’s Princess Lunafreya.” Iris’ words had everyone’s undivided attention. “Word is she was in town. Apparently, she left right away, but that means she’s okay!”

Both Noctis and Astra felt a sense of relief wash over them. Noctis’ body loosened up, and Astra let her head rest on the bed with a sigh. The smile on Noctis’ face was too obvious, “Thanks.”

“Get a good night’s rest,” said Iris as she walked to the room’s door. “My room is across the hall, Astra.”

With that said, Iris left, leaving the five alone in silence. Astra could see a million thoughts racing through Noctis’ mind as he stole a few glances at her. She stood up and patted away the dust from her clothes. She wanted to say anything but couldn’t think of something that would ease her brother’s mind and allow him peace. Astra could only pat his shoulder and then leave without saying a word. 

In Iris’ room, Iris was already wearing her pajamas and getting ready for bed. The lights were dim and the window was open, allowing in the distant sound of the street to be heard as it was carried by a soft breeze. Iris only had one bed; Astra didn’t mind on her own behalf but felt bad for taking up space on what was supposed to be only Iris’s bed. She took out her own pajamas from the duffel bag placed on a chair and began to change. Astra could feel Iris’ stare on her body.

“Is it the scars?” asked Astra as she finished changing and took off her necklaces.

Caught off guard, Iris answered, “Why didn’t you heal them with potions?”

“Most of these are from the frontlines. Potions were scarce and only for the dying.”

“And that one? It looks recent,” said Iris, as she pointed to her neck.

Astra took in a deep breath, “This one’s from Insomnia.”

Astra settled herself into the bed. Her body and mind were aching for rest and more rest. Standing by the last lamp still on, Iris watched Astra as she closed her eyes. She reluctantly turned off the light and joined Astra in bed. Astra opened her eyes and stared at the ceiling; a part of her was expecting to see the falling crystals that adorned the ceiling in her room at the Citadel. She felt foolishly disappointed when she realized she wasn’t home. Iris didn’t say any words, but she held Astra’s hand as they both fell into deep slumber. Maybe it was for Astra or Iris herself, but it didn’t matter. It felt warm.

Chapter Text

The morning after arriving at Lestallum was probably the loudest morning Astra had since the frontlines. She could hear the merchant’s shouts and the children’s laughs from her room. She showered before heading down to the lobby with Iris. Astra was happy she was finally able to get out of Noctis’ clothes, but she didn’t change into her usual outfit. The weather was too hot for all those layers. Fortunately, Cindy had helped her pack a casual change of clothes that were just Astra’s style. She wore an off-shoulder black shirt with grey pants and paired it with a white long sleeveless vest and low-heel sandal. Astra didn’t feel comfortable not wearing her necklaces and wore those too.

“Woah. Looks like someone took my advice,” said Gladio as soon as he saw Astra’s outfit.

“Weather’s too hot,” reasoned Astra.

“It’s been a while since I last saw you in your casual wear,” said Ignis.

“Well, I was always busy.”

“It looks nice— you look nice,” said Prompto shyly.

Iris looked at Astra and Prompto back and forth as a smile creeped onto her face. She was about to say something when a younger voice echoed throughout the lobby.

“Iris!” sang Talcott as he ran down the stairs.

Jared followed his grandson, albeit, at a much slower pace. Talcott ran into Iris’ already open arms. He smiled at everyone but hid behind Iris when he met Astra’s eyes. Everyone laughed at the scene, but no one was louder than Gladio. Iris urged Talcott before her, but Talcott refused to move. 

“Excuse my grandson, Princess Astra,” said Jared with a small laugh.

“Talcott, go one. Say hi to Astra,” said Iris but Talcott refused.

Prompto pulled Talcott to him and knelt down to meet his eyes. “Come on, Talcott. You don’t want to be mean. Why don’t you say hi to Astra?”

Talcott glanced at Astra then looked back at Prompto, “I know it’s rude but...Princess Astra is scary.”

Gladio’s laugh echoed throughout the lobby, and Ignis had to elbow him in the gut to get him to stop. Prompto wanted to laugh too but held back. Instead, he moved Astra to where Talcott stood and pushed her down by her shoulders, making her kneel across Talcott. Joining Astra, Prompto smiled, “Look, she’s not scary. It’s just that she’s tall and a princess.”

“And a killing machine,” added Gladio as Iris glared at him.

Prompto nudged Astra to say something. Truthfully, she was at a loss. Even Noctis could take care of children better than she could; she didn’t think she had the patience to deal with them. But, Prompto kept smiling and looking at her. With a sigh, Astra messed Talcott’s hair.

“Have you eaten breakfast yet?” asked Astra, smiling as she stood back up.

Talcott could barely look at her, but Prompto placed an arm of support on his shoulder. Talcott shook his head and answered, “No, Your Highness.”

“Then, let’s get you something to eat. If that’s okay with your grandpa,”

Jared bowed with a smile, “You are more than welcome to, Your Highness.”

Prompto took hold of Talcott’s hand and placed him between him and Astra. Ignis, Gladio, and Iris followed them, leaving Jared behind because he said he had work to do. Finding a place to eat wasn’t hard; choosing where to eat was ever so difficult. Everything smelled so appetizing, and Astra couldn’t even focus on one smell for too long since another came and stole her attention away. In the end, Talcott chose a restaurant he claimed was deserving of Astra’s “royal palette.” His speech was so tense and formal with Astra she found it cute and couldn’t bring herself to ask him to change it when he appeared to be trying so hard.

The breakfast served was a traditional Lestallum dish. The flavors exploded in her mouth, and Astra didn’t know if she had ever tasted anything like it. Talcott sat beside her, and she attempted conversation with him throughout breakfast. Their conversation dried up on more than one occasion, but thankfully, Prompto was always near ready to pick up where Astra could no longer carry. She had felt several eyes on her as she ate, but she thought little of it until they attempted to pay for the food.

“It’s on the house,” said the lady cashier with a smile.

Astra looked at Iris who looked just as lost as her, “What? We aren’t from around here.”

“We know,” laughed the cashier. “But we know who you are, Princess Astra.”

Astra didn’t know if she was happy or scared they knew who she was. She knew she had been in the public eye longer than Noctis, but her face had never been plastered on the front page of the news. There were even those in the Crown City who didn’t know she was a princess when they spoke to her. But as Astra looked around the room, she found that everyone who had been staring at her seemed to recognize her.

“I still don’t understand—”

“In Lestallum, it is the women who do most of the work here. We are unlike any other city,” interrupted the cashier. “Outsiders have always looked down on us for that. Especially those of the Crown City. But you, Princess Astra, advocated for us. Unlike other nobles, you fought and bled for us all. To us, you are the paragon of our ideals.”

Astra could see the care the cashier spoke with and how the words meant much to her. She respectfully bowed her head and looked at the cashier’s tag that read ‘Laura,’ With a smile, Astra spoke, “Thank you, Laura. Truly.” Astra and the rest of her friends left the restaurant as quietly as they could, but it appeared as if all eyes were on her until she stepped outside the building.

“So, it looks like Astra’s pretty big stuff over here,” said Gladio.

“It would make less sense if she wasn’t, considering her achievements,” reasoned Ignis.

“I mean, Astra, who practically dominated and stood on par with these great men back in the city, is kind of a celebrity over here. She’s like this city’s icon,” added Iris.

“Sucks you couldn’t get this recognition back home, though,” said Prompto.

With all their talk, no one had noticed Talcott escaped Prompto’s grasp and stood still. Not until Astra turned to look at the frozen boy. Noticing his state, everyone surrounded him, attempting to figure out what had happened.

“Wait...so you really were a soldier? You worked with the Kingsglaive?” asked Talcott with shining eyes.

“I did,” answered Astra confused.

Talcott began jumping around with glee, “I knew it. I was right. Back home, kids lied and said girls couldn’t be soldiers, so I thought princesses definitely wouldn’t be. But I was right! That’s so cool.” Talcott held onto Astra’s hand as if she were to slip away any moment and looked at her with such intensely innocent eyes. She had forgotten children’s idolization of soldiers and men in uniform. Talcott added, “When I grow up, I want to join the Kingsglaive!”

Surprising Astra, she asked, “Don’t those of House Amicitia typically serve in the Crownsguard?”

“The Crownsguard are lame. I want to warp. Like you!”

Prompto and Gladio rolled their eyes; the Kingsglaive and Crownsguard had this sort of prideful rivalry against each other even though they served the same family. Everyone present, except Iris and Talcott, were soldiers of the Crownsguard; Astra had the opportunity to also serve the Kingsglaive. Even though none of that mattered anymore, Astra could not break a child’s dream and simply ruffled his hair as he continuously smiled.

“Oh! I know some cool places! Come on, let me show you,” said Talcott as he began to pull Astra’s arm.

“I’m gonna head back to the hotel. One of us should be there to let Noctis know what’s going on,” said Iris. “You guys go ahead. I’ve already seen every corner of the city.”

With only the child’s eagerness to follow, Astra allowed herself to be dragged along by Talcott while Iris left and everyone else followed. It was safe to say that Talcott no longer found her scary.

“Hey, look who’s back! Talcott, why don’t you tell Noct what you told us?” asked Prompto.

Talcott’s tour guide had finished and led them back to the hotel. Astra had expected to find Noctis still sleeping in bed but instead found no Iris or Noctis. Jared was the only one there to greet them. Only then did she realize why Iris had decided to stay behind. Iris seemed to arrive happier than usual, and Noctis strolled in as lax as usual.

“You still remember she’s 15, and you’re getting married right?” whispered Astra to Noctis.

With a look of disbelief, Noctis answered, “Wasn’t like that.”

“So, there’s this legend about a sword hidden behind a waterfall nearby,” said Talcott with a serious tone that didn’t suit or match his earlier childish charm.

“It may be one of the lost tombs,” explained Jared.

“So, we should check it out,” thought Noctis out loud. “Thanks, Talcott.”

“No problem!”

Noctis was ready to get down to business, but this time, Astra wasn’t. She held him back by his arm before he could get too far, “Could we maybe put that off for tomorrow?”

Noctis wasn’t sure if he heard her right. Astra was known for getting down to business and getting it over with as soon as possible. She was “All work, No play.” Astra seemed to have realized how odd her behaviour was as well because she appeared uncomfortable even making the request. This was some reasoning Noctis had to hear.

“It’s just— There’s a festival. Today’s the last day, and they're going out with a bang. If we go to the tomb today, I know we won’t make it back in time,” explained Astra.

“Talcott’s the one who told us about.” Prompto leaned forward to whisper in Noctis' ear. "The festival is being held to commemorate those who served in the Battle of Zeklea."

Noctis would be a fool if he didn't know about the Battle of Zeklea. Zeklea was a small outpost once overtaken by the empire. The people had been waiting on rations and support from the Crown City, but the empire took advantage of their weakened state. This created intense outrage among the outlying outposts and the refugees that resided inside the Crown City, including the Kingsglaive. To appease the masses, Astra was sent to the frontlines and took part in the battles leading up to the final Battle of Zeklea where the empire was forced to retreat. This event was also what spiraled Astra into becoming an intense advocate for those in the outlying regions and the refugees Insomnia took in.

There was no way Astra was going to explain this all to Noctis. She rarely ever talked about what happened to her over there; she'd only make small remarks about it but never allowed anyone to know any details. But Noctis could see the pleas written in her eyes and her furrowed brows.

"Guess we can wait a day," answered Noctis.

Instant satisfaction appeared over Astra’s face. Prompto returned to Astra’s side and smiled at her. Talcott took Astra’s hand and stole her attention from Prompto, “It was an honor guiding you today, Your Highness.”

Astra smiled, “I was fortunate to have such a knowledgeable guide.”

Surprising everyone, Talcott kissed Astra’s hand and proudly smiled at Prompto. The little boy quickly escaped and left an astounded Prompto behind. Gladio reeled over in laughter and smacked Prompto’s back, and in search of an explanation, Astra stared at Noctis who could only answer with a shrug. 

Astra spent the rest of her time with Iris. Iris took her around the city, visiting some shops the boys wouldn’t want to even be seen entering. Astra enjoyed spending time with her; Iris was like a little sister. It made sense since Gladio treated Astra like his own little sister too. One way or another, those closest to Astra weren’t just friends but family. She was sure Noctis felt the same. After spending some time with Iris, Astra returned back to the hotel. She freely invited herself into the boys’ room. Noctis was taking yet another nap on the bed and didn’t bat an eye to her loud knocking. Gladio had left to spend some time with Iris. Meanwhile, Ignis and Prompto sat in the sofa chairs placed inside the room. Ignis held a small notebook in his hand, and Prompto was looking through his camera.

“Looking forward to the festivities?” asked Ignis as Astra sat down with them.

“The last time I enjoyed something like this was…” Astra’s voice died off. “I don’t remember. I always had to keep a certain level of formality wherever I went just in case anyone recognized me.”

“Then we just have to make sure that tonight makes up for all that fun,” said Prompto, waving his camera around. “And I’ll make sure to catch all the best moments.”

The room’s door opened and Gladio and Iris strolled, smiling and laughing. Neither of them cared about how much noise they made even with the sleeping prince. Iris took the last available sofa chair next to Astra and offered her some of the snack she was eating. Gladio smacked Noctis awake, and only then did Noctis barely awake from slumber. 

“So, gang’s all here,” said Prompto.

“And ready to go,” added Iris.

Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Noctis mumbled, “Didn’t you guys just get here?”

“So we could all leave together. Now, get up,” said Gladio, pushing Noctis out of bed.

“How’s your headache?” Astra asked Noctis.

Since they arrived, Noctis had been plagued with a headache that came and went as it pleased. There were no signs of it going away even after taking some medicine Jared bought for him.

“I’m fine for now,” said Noctis.

Astra didn’t pester him anymore and walked to the small balconette in the room overlooking the plaza outside. It was hotter inside the room, and the cool air felt nice on her skin. The sun dyed everything orange as it began to set, and the lights of the city began to turn on, adorning every corner. The festival’s decorations were elegant yet humble; the Battle of Zeklea was after all still a battle where many died. Astra thought back on those she served with. So many faces appeared in her mind, and Astra drowned in guilt realizing she had forgotten some, including their names. But, Astra could hear the laughter of children from the streets; she saw them run and play without worries. And Astra was happy to know that the fruit of their labors had paid off. Now, she just had to make sure it lasted.

Chapter Text

“Look at all the lights!” cheered Prompto as he twirled, trying to take it all in.

The sun was only moments away from setting. The city’s lights illuminated the streets and created a delightful ambiance. Jared and Talcott stayed behind, but Iris joined the group in their stead. Had she been alone, Astra didn’t think she would have been able to enjoy the festival as much, but Prompto pulled her every which way to ensure she didn’t miss a single detail, allowing her to enjoy the festivities to the fullest. Finally at the food court, the group managed to snag a table although it was the type with no seats and was too small for all of them. 

“It’s alright. You all enjoy the food,” said Ignis as he readjusted his glasses. “I had an early dinner. Instead, I’ll use this time to buy our missing necessary procurements for tomorrow. I will need an extra pair of hands, however.”

“Is this just your roundabout way of asking me to help you buy the groceries?” asked Noctis.

“You are, essentially, our wallet,” reasoned Astra. “Even mine.”

“Aw, come on. Noct’s more than that,” said Iris. “Come on, Noct. It’ll be fun. I’ll join!”

Begrudgingly so, Noctis followed Ignis with Iris at his side, leaving Gladio, Prompto, and Astra behind. Astra looked at the various food stalls, each with their enticing food options. She couldn’t decide and refused to wait in a long line; she was far too hungry for that.

“You pick. I can’t,” Astra told Gladio as Prompto nodded in agreement.

“You already know where I’m going,” said Gladio, already eyeing the food stall with the most meat dishes. “Come on, Prompto.”

Taking Prompto with him, Gladio left Astra behind at the table. All the tables were placed near each other to save space. Astra could hear the conversations of those near her— all their jokes, all their stories, all their songs. She liked it; it was oddly comforting. However, the moment didn’t last. A group of loud men roamed through the food court; not only did they look it, but they also smelled of booze and other substances. Having locked onto their prey, they worked their way to Astra. 

“What’s a pretty girl like you doing all by herself?” asked one of the men.

He stood the closest to Astra, clearly the leader, and wore a tank top, allowing her to see scars stretched along his arms. The two other men with him carried themselves just like he did and appeared to share similar scars. They were hunters. Astra ignored them, hoping they’d think she was either deaf or blind, but the man waved his hand alarmingly close to her face, making her flinch out of surprise.

“There you are!” laughed the man.

She turned to look at him. Her disgust must have been evident because the men laughed. 

“That’s a nice look you got there. Real intense.” The man touched her hair. “And exotic.”

Even though she moved her head away, she wanted to throw up, but she had to hold it back. The food court was too crowded, and today was too important to cause such a commotion. But if he touched her one more time— no, if he looked at her with such disgusting eyes again, she’d ensure it would be the last thing he saw. However, a large familiar shadow appeared behind the men carrying meaty food.

“There a problem?” asked Gladio to Astra, not even acknowledging the men’s existence.

Prompto stood beside him, looking even more enraged than Gladio.

“No, they were just leaving,” answered Astra.

The men took one last look at her; this time they looked disappointed and angry. But they left either way. Astra would be lying if she said that she wasn’t disappointed that the men left after seeing the mere presence of Gladio and Prompto, but she knew men like that would never take her seriously unless she beat them to a pulp. Gladio and Prompto set down the food on the table, looking more upset than Astra.

“The gall of those guys,” said Prompto with frustration.

“There’s always losers like that causing trouble at places like these,” said Gladio. He pointed to the scar on his face. “It’s how I got this scar.”

“Doesn’t mean it’s fine. I mean, you shouldn’t have to deal with guys like that! You’re a princess!”

“I mean, I’ve dealt with people like that before both inside the Crown City and on the frontlines. It’s nothing new,” explained Astra.

“Still,” muttered Prompto as he played with his food.

Even though she hated what she had just gone through, she appreciated the care Gladio and Prompto had for her. It made her feel nice and warm inside.

Noticing she had no napkins, Astra asked Prompto, “Hey, can you hand me a—”

A voice overpowering not only hers but everyone else’s sounded from across the seating section, “Can you believe that hag tempted us when she already had two guys with her!”

Astra’s entire table froze. Everyone else in the food court ignored the drunk men, knowing that giving them any attention would prove regretful. But, the drunk men’s eyes didn’t leave Astra even with Gladio’s intense glare.

“But, hey. If she’s got two, doesn’t that mean she knows how to have fun with a group?” added one of the drunk men with an obscene laugh. “Who knows? Maybe the guys would let us play around with her, and she might even like it—”

Gladio slammed his hands on the table, creating a deafening sound throughout the entire food court. The drunk men who had been paying attention to Astra and those at her table noticed this and watched expectantly for Gladio’s next move.

“Enough of this! I’m gonna wipe their smiles off their faces!” yelled Gladio.

Astra could see the protruding veins on Gladio’s face. If looks could kill, Gladio would have already butchered the men with his alone. Leaving the table, Gladio stepped forward with curled fists, but Astra held him back and placed herself before him.

“Gladio—”

“You’re gonna let this go?” interrupted Gladio, attempting to slip out of Astra’s grip.

“I don’t want to. But look around,” explained Astra. “This is hardly the place for a fight.”

Gladio took in a deep breath and tried to calm himself. Astra wasn’t sure it worked, but he did stop trying to escape her grip. He looked at Astra with sad eyes and patted her head. Something behind Astra must have caught his attention because he suddenly looked up with a surprised expression that quickly shifted to satisfaction.

“You should’ve probably told blondie that,” said Gladio, smiling.

Astra turned around to look at the drunk men. One was already on the ground, and another was getting his face punched by none other than Prompto. She had never seen Prompto look that enraged before. Prompto's eyes were far more intense than Gladio's, and they were filled with endless hate. Veins popped on his face and arms; his knuckles were already tinted red. The man that had touched Astra's hair attempted to punch Prompto, but he was able to easily dodge and punch him instead. Even if he was less skilled when compared to Gladio or Ignis, as a member of the Crownsguard, Prompto was an incredibly skilled marksman and hand-to-hand combatant, more than capable of keeping up with his royal friends.

The food court formed an invisible bubble around Prompto and the drunk men. They had no intention of getting involved. Gladio joined the fight and helped Prompto beat the guys up. Astra watched, attempting to figure out what their next course of action should be, but she saw a new group of men arrive with weapons. They were looking for someone, and Astra knew exactly who before they even said anything.

The newly arrived group made their way to Gladio and Prompto; they readied their bats and brass knuckles. One of the men picked up a bottle from someone's table and raised it, ready to hit Prompto from behind. But Astra warped to him and caught his arm before he could hurt Prompto.

Astra didn't waste any time and punched him in the gut, watching him fall in pain. Gladio and Prompto ran to Astra' side and helped her fight off the men. In the middle of the fight, Gladio pulled Astra aside and threw her onto Prompto, surprising them both.

“Get yourselves out of here. I’ll take it from here,” said Gladio. “We can’t have Lestallum’s idol caught in this mess when the authorities show up!”

“What about you?” asked Astra. “Not to be that person, but you don’t appear to be the most trustworthy citizen.”

Laughing, Gladio punched one of the men, “Don’t worry. I’ll make it out before they catch me. Go!”

Hesitantly, Astra and Prompto ran from the scene, leaving Gladio behind; the fight didn’t worry Astra. It was Gladio’s future escape, but alas, she had to trust him and have faith. Prompto held tightly onto Astra’s hand as they ran with some men following them. They ducked through alleys and tight corners until they finally decided to hide behind a large trash bin. From the abandoned alley where they hid, Astra could only hear the distant music from the plaza and no longer heard the grunts and pants of the men that followed them. She peeked out from beside the trash bin, but Prompto pulled her back instantly.

“Wha—”

Prompto covered her mouth with his hand and motioned to the other side of the alley behind her with his head, “Not yet.”

Astra turned her head, escaping the hand on her mouth, and lightly peeked to see what made Prompto so worried. In the distance, she could see a few men amidst a crowd. Astra wouldn’t have recognized them if it weren’t for the vague tattoos that peeked out from their clothes. Actually, she could barely even see them, but then again, as a marksman, Prompto always had good eyes.. Turning back to Prompto, she observed his face. He had a small cut on his bottom lip and on his left brow, and his cheek was bruised. His eyes were focused on the men he saw; even now when it was night, the blue in his eyes were brilliant and beaming. She didn't know why, but she had the sudden urge to visit the sea.

Chapter Text

“I think we’re in the clear now,” said Prompto, looking back at Astra.

“Huh? Right,” replied Astra. “Has Gladio called you?”

Prompto checked his phone as they both remained crouching in the abandoned alley.

“No call, but he sent me a message. He made it out safely and went back to the hotel,” informed Prompto as he read the content in his phone. “He says…”

Astra tried stealing a glance at what Prompto’s phone said, “What is it?”

“He says to enjoy the rest of the festival,” admitted Prompto with a small smile.

Matching Prompto with a smile of her own, Astra said, “Yeah. He sounds fine.”

Prompto helped Astra stand back up while holding her hand. Letting go to move a hair from her face, he whispered, “Where to next, princess?”

“I know just the spot,” winked Astra.

Taking Prompto’s hand into her own, Astra led him out the alley. She didn’t exactly know the way to the place she was looking for and made several wrong turns. Her confusion didn’t go unnoticed, and Prompto laughed.

“We’re lost, aren’t we?” asked Prompto.

“We’re not lost. I’m just...confused,” lied Astra.

Prompto didn’t believe her and laughed, but he didn’t let go and followed her wherever she took him. Eventually, she led them to an open space hidden in the corner of the city. There was a homey restaurant with outdoor seating and a small convenience store next to it. Astra and Prompto sat down and rested their heavy bodies.

“How did you know about this place?” asked Prompto.

“Iris told me about it. Her directions were pretty vague, though. I thought since we weren’t able to eat our dinner back there, we’d go somewhere else.” Astra observed her surroundings with a smile. “But it was worth it.”

The restaurant’s sole host came out to greet them, “May I take your order for this evening?”

“I’ll be right back. You know what I like,” said Astra to Prompto.

Prompto was caught off guard, but he obliged. Astra’s likes and dislikes were similar to her brother’s. He ordered their meals, and the host left. He felt a little awkward sitting by himself. This corner of Lestallum seemed to be populated by elders. He could see some sitting outside, swaying in their chairs and singing along with the music on the radio. There were also two children playing with each other in a way that didn’t bother the elders but also allowed them to have their fun. He liked it. It was peaceful.

When Astra came back, she had a small bag in her hand. She sat down next to Prompto and took out the components of the bag. It was a pack of butterfly closures and some sort of cream. Setting the bag aside, Astra opened the cream as she scooted her chair closer to Prompto. He felt his body tense up when her knees grazed and rested beside his. Lestallum was already a hot city, but the sudden closeness made him feel even hotter. Despite having just calmed his heart from the fight, Prompto found it racing with just her touch.

“W-What’s that?” Prompto asked, trying to distract himself.

“For you.” Astra dipped her finger into the tub of lotion. “You’ve got some cuts on your face.”

Prompto could only then suddenly feel the sting of the cuts on his face and knuckles. He raised his hand to touch his lip, but Astra held it and lowered it down.

“You’ll infect it. I don’t have any potions on me, so this will have to do,” said Astra, waving her lotion-dipped finger.

“They’re just cuts and bruises. A potion would be too much.”

“I suppose,” said Astra as she leaned forward and held his chin, observing the wound on his lip. “But it kind of ruins your pretty boy image.”

Prompto was deathly afraid Astra would be able to hear his pounding heart. He could barely hear her speak over it. Astra began applying the ointment on his lip first. She left every spot she touched burning, and Prompto wasn’t entirely sure it was because of the ointment. 

“You think I'm pretty?" Prompto asked in a whisper. HIs words slipped out of his lips without his notice. He felt the blood rush to his head, and panic settled into his heart. He saw her body tense up for a moment and saw her swallow saliva to calm her dry mouth. "I mean, w-what about you?” Prompto choked on a cough, trying to change the conversation.

Astra smiled, “You insult me. You know I’m faster than that.”

He did know, but he didn’t know what else to say. Prompto was afraid that if he opened his mouth one more time everything he was feeling would slip out, and he wasn’t ready for that. And, he didn’t want to do that to Astra when she was already going through so much. Some things just had to wait, and after all this time, he could wait a little more.

Astra moved from his lip to his brow and applied ointment to that wound too. Their faces were leveled, and Prompto could look straight into her eyes even if they weren’t looking at him. Her eyelashes were longer than he expected, and her eyes were deep blue but almost grey. Yet somehow, her eyes were bright and even in battle, Prompto could see them shine. Astra took a butterfly closure and placed it over the wound on his brow. Leaning back into her chair, she took his hand into her own. The restaurant’s host appeared with their food and bottles of water and placed it onto the table, but still, Astra didn’t let go.

“Thank you,” said Astra as the host retired back into the restaurant.

She only let go of Prompto’s hand to wet a napkin. As if it were the most natural thing in the world, Astra began to clean Prompto’s bloody knuckles.

“That’s alright. I can do it,” said Prompto, attempting to remove Astra’s hands.

But she didn’t move, “You’re like this because of me. Let me do this, at least.”

“They were disgusting! And awful! I did it for you, yeah. But I would have done it for anyone else, too!”

Prompto had the sudden thought that maybe that wasn’t what you were supposed to tell the girl you liked; he could already think of Gladio lecturing him on how to win a girl over the right way. Prompto looked into Astra’s eyes for some disappointed reaction, but she smiled kindly and proceeded to wipe his other hand without meeting his eyes.

“You’re not wrong. The Prompto I know is that kind of person,” smiled Astra.

He thought about asking what kind of person that was, but he knew just by looking into her eyes. He’d seen that look several times before; it sometimes lingered in glances or moments Astra thought he didn’t know she was looking. He’d stay up some nights, attempting to decipher her every blink and smile, not sure if what he saw was just a figment of his imagination. But it always gave him hope. Hope that maybe, just maybe, she also felt what he did. All these years, hope haunted him and cursed him with that thought.

Prompto hadn’t even noticed when she let go of his hand; her warmth lingered. But when he came to, she was staring into his eyes, watching him think of other things.

“Sorry, I was in a daze,” explained Prompto as he took up his fork to eat his meal.

Astra did the same, “You’re good.”

The two began eating their food and conversed normally. They spoke about the fight, Noctis, chocobos— everything. Even if Astra was a princess who had been cooped up in politics and war, Prompto found that she hadn’t really changed. She still loved reading. She still wanted to go to the sea. She still had fun talking to him. Moments like these were more than enough for him.

New customers joined Astra and Prompto in sitting outside, and the restaurant’s host came out to attend to them. Before he left, Astra called out, “Excuse me, could you please bring me a bottle of  Panther Gin and six shot glasses?”

The host appeared confused but nodded, “I’ll be out in jiffy.”

“What’s that for?” asked Prompto, watching the host leave.

As she finished her food, Astra answered, “To commemorate the Battle of Zeklea and our fallen.” The host was already back, carrying exactly what Astra had asked. He set down the glasses and bottle then left. 

“Panther Gin?” Prompto examined the bottle. “That’s some pretty strong stuff, and last I checked, you can’t handle your liquor.”

“Well, you are right, but it’s tradition.”

“Why five glasses?”

“Me, you, Dad, Nyx, Crowe, and Pelna” answered Astra, pointing to each individual glass. “Nyx you’ve already heard about. I was placed into their platoon, and I was later part of a covert squad with Crowe, Pelna, and, of course, Nyx. Libertus was a part of it two, but he shares the same misfortune of life that I have”

Prompto was almost afraid to ask, “What happened to them? Crowe and Pelna?”

Prompto had no intention of forcing her to answer, but Astra took in a deep breath, ready to answer. “Crowe was sent on a covert mission that sent her to the empire. She was supposed to get Luna... bring her back to Insomnia.” Astra didn’t meet Prompto’s eyes. “Pelna took part in the mission meant to retrieve Luna from the empire’s captivity aboard their airship. It was a trap. I wasn’t as close to them as I was to Nyx, but...still.”

Both of their plates were now empty, and Astra fiddled with her silverware, looking away from him. When she looked at him, Prompto could see the tears forming in her eyes.

“There were more. In the squad, you know. But, uh… I don’t mourn traitors.” Astra forced a chuckle and looked at the bottle of gin. “Guess I should thank them for that.”

Prompto set aside their plates and brought forth the glasses. He poured the gin into every glass and set the bottle back down. Astra moved a single glass towards Prompto and kept the rest. She took a glass into her hand, and Prompto did the same.

“May they rest in peace,” said Prompto, raising his glass.

Astra nodded with a bittersweet smile and clinked her glass with Prompto’s. They drank the gin in one shot and felt it burn their throat along the way. Both of them were coughing, but Prompto had to ease his throat with what was left of his water bottle and even took Astra’s.

“Yeah. I was worse the first time around,” laughed Astra.

Astra raised her second glass and lingered the glass on her lips. She looked up to the sky, reminiscing of the first time she drank Panther Gin. Astra wasn’t yet of age, but things like that didn’t matter on the frontlines. Nyx and Libertus persuaded Astra to take a single shot, while Pelna and Crowe were the voice of reason, explaining why she shouldn’t as a princess and as a child. Later, she drank with her father who was surprised with her lack of reaction; the lecture she received after was funny, looking back at it now. But, even those memories were now vague. Many memories were ever since her accident at the chocobo post. Any attempt to remember always caused a nose bleed and an intense headache; in fact, there was a persistent one that haunted her even now with Prompto. Maybe it was a sign. A sign to let them go. But Astra’s couldn’t. Not yet. She wasn’t strong enough for that.

Raising her glass to the sky, Astra whispered, “For hearth and home.”

Chapter Text

After finishing all the shots, Astra could feel her head throbbing; she wasn’t sure if it was the drink or just her headache. Her cheeks felt hot but her hands felt cold. She could feel Prompto’s attentive gaze follow her as she leaned onto the table and pushed herself up on her feet. The sudden movement was too much and she would have fallen backwards had Prompto not hurried over and caught her. Resting her body against his, Astra leaned her head on his shoulder. Astra was on the taller side, but even then, she didn’t pass Prompto. From this distance, Astra could smell Prompto’s cologne and laughed as she imagined him getting ready to go out for the night.

“I think we should probably head back to the hotel,” said Prompto with a small crack in his voice.

With her ear on his chest, Astra heard his voice resonate throughout his body, but she heard something else too. Some sort of beating.

“I think I can hear your heart,” said Astra, listening intently with a smile. “It’s loud.”

Prompto moved Astra away from his chest with a flushed face. Maybe it was because of the drink. She hoped it wasn’t.

“H-Hop on. I’ll carry you.” Turning around and bending down, Prompto exposed his back and stretched his arms backwards. “And don’t worry. I am—”

Astra plopped herself onto his back without a second thought and placed her arms over his shoulders. Prompto remained still, attempting to process what had happened. Had Astra been a little more sober by just a drink, she would have refused.

“Are you okay?” asked Astra.

“Yup. I’m fine,” answered Prompto as he stood back up, carrying Astra on his back. “Totally fine.”

Prompto walked slowly on his way back to the restaurant. He knew Astra wanted to take some time, looking at the stalls they passed, but truth be told, Prompto just didn’t want the moment to end. Not yet. Astra nuzzled her head into Prompto’s neck; she took in a deep breath and sighed in satisfaction.

“I like this,” whispered Astra into Prompto’s neck. 

Prompto could feel his heart skip a beat or more than one. His throat felt dry but his body felt hot. The place on his neck she nuzzled into was the hottest. He wanted to turn and look at her, but he was afraid she’d move and decided to look ahead.

“What do you like?” Prompto managed to ask.

Astra smiled against his skin, “All of this.”

Prompto silently screamed in his head and continued carrying Astra in silence. She’d occasionally point out things along the way that caught her attention. By the time they arrived back at the hotel, Prompto had bought Astra several odd trinkets, decorations, and candy; she was very insistent. Although he had originally planned to tuck her into her own bed, upon arriving, Prompto noticed no one had come back to the hotel, and only Iris had a key to their room. Thus, Prompto hesitantly brought her to his room instead.

Prompto set her down on one of the two beds, took off her shoes, and placed her legs onto the bed. He left her for a moment to get her a blanket, but when he came back, he no longer found her on the bed. She had opened the window of the small balconette in the room and stood still, watching whatever was outside. The wind curled the curtains and blew Astra’s hair. Suddenly, Prompto felt afraid, afraid that she would fly away at any moment. He set the blanket down on the bed and stood at her side.

“I used to have these dreams when I was younger,” spoke Astra, still looking out the window. “My dad thought they were visions from the gods. Gifts...But whenever I had them, I always woke up crying.”

Prompto didn’t look away from Astra, “What did you dream about?”

“Different things. They rarely made sense. It’s just the feeling it left behind.” said Astra, turning to Prompto.

Now that she was looking at him, Prompto could see the tears swelling up in her eyes and watched one escape. He wiped it from her cheek, and she leaned into his hand with a smile. Unconsciously, Prompto drew his hand away; he immediately regretted it and wished to have lingered even a second longer near her. Astra reamined smiling at him.

“But I don’t have them anymore. Guess I’m too busy for that now,” said Astra as she returned to look out the window.

“Too busy looking out for Noct?”

“That, and there’s this blonde kid that torments my mind every waking day since long, long ago.”

“...How long ago?”

What answered wasn’t Astra but a thunderous boom that echoed throughout the city. For a moment, Prompto thought they were being attacked but he could see colorful lights ignite from the corner of his eyes and illuminate their surroundings. He felt relief spread throughout his body when he noticed it was fireworks. They both watched the fireworks in silence. From inside, they could hear the cheers and songs that sounded from outside.

“Do you remember when I was knighted into the Crownsguard?” asked Prompto.

“Of course, I do. I was there,” answered Astra. “That was the first and last time I saw you in uniform.”

“It was my first time going to the Citadel. I was so scared. I wanted to look good— impress the King and you, eventually. When we were lined up in the throne room, I couldn’t even look up. Then it was my turn to go up, and when I was up there, everything felt so big. It didn’t help that we were told Gladio's dad had been replaced with a new head,” laughed Prompto. “I thought to myself I had to make a good first impression. Imagine my surprise when I look up and see you smiling at me.”

Astra chuckled remembering, “I would have told you in advance if I knew you’d be that surprised, but I wasn’t able to tell anyone. The knighting of the new Crownsguard recruits was my first official appearance as the Head of the Crowsguard.”

“I know, but when I looked up, that wasn’t the only reason I was surprised. All my life, I had only known you as Astra— I mean, I knew you were royal and the nation's first and only princess, but..I never really noticed what that meant—what it looked like until then. You looked mature, respectable, and strong.” Having rushed through his words, Prompto slowed down. “You were beautiful.”

Prompto's eyes looked ahead but attempted to steal glances of Astra from the corner of his eyes. His head was definitely buzzing; without the Panther Gin, he would never be so outspoken. But then again, he was known for being able to hold a surprising amount of liquor, so maybe this was something else. Amidst the silence, Astra slipped her hand into Prompto’s and held it tightly. Surprised, Prompto turned to look at Astra who still watched the fireworks with a smile. She wasn’t smiling because of the light show.

“I like this,” admitted Astra with a small smile she didn’t know she had.

Prompto turned his entire body to face her. It was too obvious for Astra to ignore, and she turned to him, still holding his hand. All it took was a single step to close the distance between the two; he hadn’t noticed how close they were before. Prompto leaned his head forward. Time slowed down, and in that moment, it was just them two. He wanted to hold her in his arms and never let go. But instead, he let his forehead rest against her own.

“You’re sly,” smiled Prompto.

Astra appeared calm even with Prompto mere inches from her face. She mustered enough courage to look him in his eyes and found he was already looking at her. His freckles blurred into the background as her focus remained on the blue of his eyes; his eyes were unrelenting and honest. As if it had a mind of her own, Astra's hand moved to hold Prompto's cheeck. His skin felt hot, and the fact that Astra wasn't the only one to feel hot brought her comfort. Prompto's hand moved up to hold the hand Astra had placed on his cheek; he didn't want to let go. Neither of them moved, and Astra didn’t want to. She wanted to stay in this moment and savor it. It was Prompto who moved first. He slid Astra's palm towards the center of his face, allowing her palm to graze his lips. The sensation of his soft lips sent small shocks into Astra's body stretching from her palm to the deepest parts of her. He did all of this without breaking eye-contact. He slowly leaned forward, and Astra didn't know what for. She didn't want to close her eyes— she couldn't even if she didn't know what to expect. Her eyes watched as he closed his eyes and saw the flickering light from the fireworks reflect on his golden eyelashes as his face drew closer to her. A warm sensation settled on Astra's forehead. Prompto's lips rested kissed Astra’s forehead as he delicately cupped the back of her neck. He met her eyes with a smile and kept his hand behind her neck; the warmth on her forehead lingered.

Prompto lowered himself onto one knee but kept holding onto Astra’s hand. He thought back to the last time they were in similar positions— back when things were simpler and she was just a princess, fulfilling her role, and he was a boy, trying to catch up to her. Looking up at her now under the firework’s light, Prompto could see her regal presence that reminded him of the day he was knighted into the Crownsguard. He was also kneeling at that time, looking up to her as he did now, but she carried a sword in her hand at that time. Now, she held his hand. The silver in her hair changed color with every different firework. That's how he always felt with her. With her, he felt like there was an explosion of colors and warmth happening inside him. But, there were no colors that would ever be able to compare to the way he saw Astra or any words that could describe his feelings. Instead, he'd have to settle for actions and hope his message would be delivered.

He was happy at that moment, and so was she. The simple moment they shared together in silence was soothing and warm. Prompto turned her hand over and gently placed a kiss into her palm. He heard it signified placing one’s heart in their lover’s hand, but Astra wasn’t his lover. And he wasn’t sure she even knew the significance, but he wanted to do it either way. After all, it wouldn't hurt anyone. Well, maybe him. 

Astra leaned down as Prompto looked up. Her hair fell off her shoulders and covered his eyes as she placed a warm kiss on his forehead. Prompto closed his eyes, partly because her hair poked his eyes and partly because he felt his eyes welling up. He could feel the warmth and saw an intense light shine through his eyelids; it felt cool yet gentle and soothing. By the time he opened his eyes, Astra had already shifted away from him, but her hand didn't leave his. Their eyes met and in that moment, nothing else mattered. Neither dared to look away; they did not want to, fearing that this could possibly be the last time— that this was the loudest their love would ever be.

Chapter Text

“My head is killing me,” groaned Astra.

After fleeing from the food court with Prompto, Astra spent the rest of the night with him. She had never drank so much, but then again, she was a lightweight. Patches of her memory were missing from last night, and Astra could only hope she didn’t do anything too embarrassing. She woke up in the boys room and only the worst scenarios ran through her head. But she noticed Noctis lay asleep at her side, and nothing of hers was missing from last night. Prompto, on the other hand, looked like he barely got enough sleep last night; apparently, she took his spot in the bed, leaving him to sleep on the floor. 

Astra woke up at the same time Noctis did, meaning it was well into the afternoon of the new day. They ordered in and ate breakfast (lunch) in the room. Ignis ordered her a hangover soup and had Astra eat it along with some hangover medicine; she didn’t even check to see what either of them were and just swallowed. Thankfully, she could keep the food down, and it was only the headache that pestered her.

Inside the boys’ room, they were all getting ready to head out. The waterfall Talcott spoke about wasn’t within walking distance, and they weren’t sure how long it would take to check the cave out. Prompto helped Ignis pack whatever things they might need for the trip, barely ever meeting Astra’s eyes. Whenever they did, she could see Prompto’s face redden and felt the heat arise in her own cheeks.

“That makes two of us,” said Noctis.

“No, I’m sure mine’s worse. Can I ask all of you to not die by next year? Or just anytime soon after that?” asked Astra, leaning her body back into the sofa couch she sat in. “I don’t think I can handle another shot of that.”

“You should’ve expected this. Panther Gin isn’t for lightweights,” said Gladio.

“It’s tradition!”

“If your headache is as bad as you say it is, maybe it would be better for you to stay behind,” reasoned Ignis.

“No. Nope. I’m going,” said Astra, springing out of her seat. “By the time we get there, the medicine will have settled, and I’ll be fine.”

She felt the floor sway beneath her, and before she even lost her balance, Prompto was already calmly helping her stand straight. Leaving his arms to stand on her own felt oddly chilling; she never realized how warm he was. 

“We leave in 10. If you’re not ready by then,” Noctis waved Astra goodbye as he stood up from his sofa chair.

Scoffing, Astra pushed past Noctis, “I’ll see you downstairs.”

Astra walked into Iris’ room where her luggage still remained. Considering the time she had, Astra didn’t waste her time deciding what to wear and chose the outfit she wore leaving Hammerhead. As she dressed herself, she smelled a fresh rose scent coming from her clothes; Iris had washed all her clothes. She was about to walk out the door when she noticed her body felt too light. Going back to her stuff, Astra put on the holster that sheathed Nyx’s kukri and finally left for the hotel’s lobby. Everyone was already there, waiting for her. 

“Was about to leave,” said Noctis, tapping his wrist.

Astra rolled her eyes. She had more than enough time to spare, “And Iris?”

“She’s with Talcott. We’ll see her when we come back,” said Gladio.

“Then, let’s go,” said Noctis, already out the hotel’s door.

The car was parked on the street instead of the lot. With every step Astra took, she felt her head throb; she began to worry the medicine would never work. The ride to the waterfall was scenic. The wind, this time around, felt soothing and numbed her pain away. Noctis was not as comforted when her hair blew into his face every now and then; somehow, it never happened to Gladio. Prompto offered her a scrunchie he wore on his wrist to appease the wailing prince, and Astra put her hair up, using the moment to smack Noctis’ face with her hair one last time and pretend it never happened. Ignis pulled over into a gas station and parked the car. Everyone got out and stretched their legs.

“The waterfall is only a walk away. We’ll leave the car here in case we don’t make it out before nightfall,” explained Ignis.

“If I pass out, Gladio, carry me,” said Astra as they began walking down the side of the highway.

“Your head’s still hurting?” asked Prompto with a frown.

“No, I’m just—”

“Astra just hates walking,” interrupted Noctis. “If she could, she’d warp everywhere.”

“That reminds me. When she first learned to warp, it was hard to get her to ever stop,” laughed Ignis.

There were some stairs attached to the highway leading to the ground below. Leading the way, Ignis walked down, and everyone else followed.

“My guess is that’s the reason she’s so fast now,” reminscised Gladio. “Catching her was always one big headache.”

Prompto laughed slightly surprised, “I can somehow see that.”

The walk down the hill passed by quickly. Where the path met with the river, they found a snake-like monster. It’s hissing was loud and reminded Astra of nails on a board. Fortunately, they didn’t need to waste their efforts on trying to kill; Ignis advised against it after determining it to be too much for them to handle and decided to save their strength for the possible fight later. They climbed over rocks and slipped through tight spaces in order to avoid it but were met with Shieldshears, ginormous crab monsters. There were only three and easy to handle, especially with both Astra and Noctis there. 

The path that led behind the waterfall was cleared and directly in their sight. Astra would have thought it to be a nice spot to hide away if it weren’t for the unnerving chill that the cave hidden behind it sent down her spine. The mini flashlights attached to everyone’s clothes turned on as they neared the shadows. With the flashlight, Astra was able to see ice growing on the walls of the cave.

“Guess the legend checks out,” said Gladio as the four stood still, peering into the cave.

“This place gives me goosebumps,” added Prompto.

After looking at her phone, Astra put it away with disappointment, “No signal.”

“You have a phone?”

“Why didn’t you ever answer our calls?” asked Gladio.

“My old phone broke in my escape. This one’s new. Iris helped me get it,” explained Astra. “I was able to work things out and get the same number as my old one.”

Noctis led the group into the cave. They each walked carefully, afraid that any sudden move may provoke a hidden trap or monster. The air felt colder and colder. Astra could see her breathe when she opened her mouth. It didn’t take long for the stony cave to turn into an icy one.

Sucking in air through his teeth, Noctis changed the conversation, “Woah. It is cold.”

“On the bright side, maybe the cold keeps the daemons away?” hoped Prompto.

“Cause daemons love the warmth,” argued Gladio.

Their conversation which started loudly continued in whispers. They took care of not waking whatever watched them from the dark. Prompto hid behind Gladio and spoke, “What if they’re just frozen...waiting for something warm to pass by and then— AH!” Prompto felt cold hands momentarily grip his waist and turned to look. Behind him stood Astra with an obviously false innocent smile as she breathed warmth onto her hands.

“Sorry,” lied Astra. “I just couldn’t miss the timing.”

Prompto wanted to be mad, but he couldn’t. “I forgot how much of a bully you were.”

Sudden growling erupted from before them. Dark puddles of goo appeared on the ground and daemons appeared. Astra could recognize them as Flan, slime-like monsters with surprising range and terrible odor. Noctis didn’t wait for them to attack and warped to them first.

“There’s your warm welcome,” said Ignis, joining Noctis in the fight.

The group made quick work of the daemons. Astra didn’t even get to do much; by the time she went for the hit, the daemon was already withering away. They all continued on their way further into the cave and found that the only way down was through a slide made of ice. Astra already lamented her future struggle of having to climb back up to leave the cave. Astra followed the boys down slide and found them already engaged in battle by the time she landed. From then on, she knew that this dungeon would prove to be a headache not because of how strong the daemons were but because of how they jumped out to attack in every corner you turned to.

These sudden battles persisted throughout the entire cavern. They met with Flan, Goblins, Arachnaes, and more. Astra was actually surprised by the variety of daemons but was glad she could get the practice in. Downside was, the dungeon was pitch black, and their only source of light came from the flashlights attached to their clothes. Nearing the end of a battle, Astra felt an elbow hit her head. She turned to look and found Ignis already massaging the spot he hit.

“Forgive me. Not good throwing daggers in the dark,” said Ignis as he stopped messaging her head.

“Now imagine you were using guns,” added Prompto.

“I think you actually nicked me,” Astra told Prompto as she touched her cheek.

Prompto’s eyes widened as he approached, making Astra blind from the sudden closeness of his flashlight, “Really?”

“Just a scratch,” said Ignis as he moved Astra’s obstructing  hair to look at the small wound on her cheek. “Won’t leave a scar.”

The group continued their journey through the cave. They walked and fought, then they walked and fought some more. The repeated process was beginning to wear them out. Although there was no signal inside the cave, the phone still worked perfectly, and Astra noticed that it was already night. If they left while the moon was still out, they’d have to camp nearby before heading back to Lestallum.

“Don’t you guys think it’s been oddly quiet for a while now?” asked Prompto.

They approached a strangely lit cave. The walls were covered in ice and the light shined through. Astra wondered what could produce such light meters underneath the ground, but her thoughts were interrupted with sudden monstrous growls.

Rolling his eyes, Gladio summoned his weapon, “You just had to jinx it.”

“Sorry,” replied Prompto.

Once again, the fight began. This time, new daemons appeared. Astra had never fought them before but had heard stories. They were called Mindflayers, hovering humanoid squid monsters; Astra had heard of glaives’ encounters before. That’s how she knew it was weak to polearms and used both physical and magical attacks. Without thinking about it twice, Astra summoned her polearm and focused her attacks on the Mindflayers. Prompto joined her and blasted the daemon away whenever it got too close to her.

She pushed one of the Mindflayers away from the rest of the daemons where it wouldn’t be able to receive help from its fiendish allies. It jumped up, preparing to attack her, but she noticed that there was stalactite hanging from the cave’s roof behind the daemon. Holding her polearm in her left hand, Astra took Nyx’s kukri into her right hand and threw it, pinning one of the Mindflayer’s hands onto the stalactite. Summoning her rope dart, she managed to wrap the rope around the daemon’s other arm and held it away from the daemon, essentially pinning it. Without any need for words, Prompto took out machinery to deliver the final blow, killing the Mindflayer and turning it to ash as all monsters do when they die.

The perfect unspoken team up between the two made them both feel proud of themselves and happy. However, the moment was short lived when they saw Noctis’ body come flying in between the two. Astra turned to the Mindflayer that Noctis had been fighting and ran to defeat it as Prompto rushed to Noctis’ side. The daemon managed to slip past Astra and rushed directly to Noctis and Prompto. Astra knew Noctis had no physical shield nor no way to produce one magically like her, but there was no way to dodge the daemon’s attack. Instead, Noctis closed his eyes and braced himself by raising his hand forward as Prompto stood just as helpless as Noctis. But, he never felt the hit.

Noctis felt warmth in his hand. He opened his eyes and saw that his hand was glowing a faint purple color. Between the daemon and his hand, a magical shield had appeared to protect, but he knew that it wasn’t his power that had conjured it. He recognized the warm and fuzzy sensation; it was familiar and made him think of home. Without warning, Astra pushed the daemon aside and drew its attention to her, allowing Noctis and Prompto to get back on their feet. Ignis ran to the two; meanwhile, Gladio helped Astra with the daemon.

“What was that?” asked Prompto as he helped Noctis up.

“Wasn’t me,” answered Noctis, looking at Astra

At Noctis’ side, Ignis worriedly asked, “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, let’s just get this over with.”

The three joined Gladio and Astra and helped finish off the daemons. A few more daemons appeared, but it wasn’t anything they couldn’t handle. Minutes filled with fighting passed, and eventually they killed all the daemons. They waited a moment to relax just in case there were daemons waiting to spawn and catch them by surprise, but nothing happened. Everyone was panting, tired from the fight. Astra rested her hands on her knees and caught her breath. From the corner of her eyes, she could see a familiar door made with Lucian architecture.

“We’re here,” said Astra, motioning to the door with her head. 

“Finally,” whined Prompto. “I miss the sun.”

Noctis walked over to the tomb’s door, and everyone else followed. Astra saw the key in Noctis’ hand as he unlocked the door and stepped inside. The tomb’s design was familiar even if she had never gone into the icy cave.

“So, all Royal Tombs look the same on the inside?” asked Astra.

“Yeah, so far,” answered Prompto. “Wait, how do you know? This is the first one you've visited.”

Observing the statues embedded into the tomb’s walls, Astra shrugged, “With you guys? Yeah. But, I've been in one before.”

 A new and unfamiliar light glistened from the sculpture of the past king who lay on what looked like a pyre of sorts as Noctis’ hand hovered over it. The old king’s sculpture held onto his sword and out of it floated a magically, crystal clear replica. Astra couldn’t help but stand in awe; it was the first time she’d ever seen such a sight. Suddenly, the magical replica flew into Noctis’ chest. Astra was surprised at the sight but noticed no one else was. The magical light vanished, leaving them to rely on their flashlights once again.

Noctis touched the spot on his chest the sword had gone through. She could see him contemplate the power he had just gained. Before, Noctis was just a boy running away from his responsibilities, but not Astra could see he was a man preparing himself for the mantle of king. His shoulders looked heavier, and Astra wished she could take some of that burden from him. But, no. He had to learn what it was to have power and be king, because Astra knew of the final fate that awaited him. And being determined to take his fate from him, Astra knew that Lucis would need a king. They would need Noctis.

Chapter Text

Leaving the daemon infested icy cave brought joy to both Prompto and Astra. Prompto jumped around with glee celebrating their accomplishment and even sang a victory tune. She would have joined but every step she took to exit the cave made her head throb with intense pain. Astra thought maybe she had just been below ground level in cold temperatures for too long, but it only worsened when she felt the chill yet comparatively warm gush of wind that brushed against her. It wasn’t a pain she wasn’t used to and decided to continue on normally. But, she noticed that Noctis was also clutching onto his head in visible pain.

Reaching over to him, Astra said, “Noctis, what’s—”

Astra suddenly felt her frozen in place. Her head was spinning. She thought maybe she had been poisoned and was only now feeling the effects, but she knew what daemon poison felt like. And this wasn’t it. Gladio, Ignis, and Prompto rushed over to Noctis who was reeling over in pain but still standing. In an almost whisper, she heard a voice, speaking in a language she could not recognize, and any attempt to make out any words only made her head throb.

“The prophecy’s bane….child of crystal and stars…” The bodiless voice could only make out a few words that Astra could recognize. “Etro’s Chosen.”

By the time she felt herself again, Noctis was already speaking to everyone about what had just happened to him. Astra joined them, fully surrounding Noctis.

“What happened to you?” Astra asked Noctis.

“I don’t know. I saw something burning. Something in a deep hole,” answered Noctis.

“The Meteor?” asked Gladio.

“You saw the Disc of Cauthess?” asked Ignis.

“I don’t know what I saw!” yelled Noctis.

Everyone could tell he was overwhelmed and quickly backed off.

Changing the conversation, Astra spoke first, “We should get going. Talcott’s not gonna wait around for us forever.”

Decrypting Noctis’ vision would have to wait since it was still night out when they left the cave. They were able to walk to the Regalia without meeting any daemons and drove to a conveniently nearby campsite. Astra liked the campsites; they were covered in nice blue glowing runes and had the perfect setup for a fire, ready for any camper. Embarrassingly so, Astra watched as the boys set up camp; she knew how to camp but not with their equipment. She was used to more “practical” tools. However, it was nice to just sit around and watch them do the work, like your good typical princess would.

Astra enjoyed watching them struggle and share playful banter with each other. Watching them from afar wasn’t something strange for her. It was how she had lived her life in Insomnie before, watching over them from her royal tower. Even if the crown of heir was not hers, her royal blood was more than enough to tie her down. But now, she was here, sharing the moment with them. Within every friend group, there arises a family dynamic where a friend will take the role of parent. In this sense, Ignis was obviously the mother, and Gladio was the father. Sitting on a chair Ignis had set for her, Astra laughed to herself as she thought about her findings.

“What’s so funny?” asked Noctis, sitting down on the seat next to her.

Looking around, Astra noticed that they had finished setting up camp, “It’s nothing.”

“Ignis!” Noctis changed the conversation. “What’s for dinner?”

Already at his portable mini-kitchen, Ignis answered, “Meaty Cutlet Sandwiches.”

Noctis slightly raised his clenched fist out of satisfaction. Gladio and Prompto joined the siblings who sat around the campfire, leaving Astra a little surprised. 

“No one’s helping Ignis?” asked Astra.

The boys didn’t answer and only looked at each other bewilderedly. Astra sighed and left her seat to help Ignis cook dinner, “Typical.”

“Seldom do they ever make the effort to help,” explained Ignis.

“I’ll be honest,” whispered Astra to Ignis as Gladio, Noctis, and Prompto carried on their own conversation. “I don’t think this will be a regular thing. You know, I’m not the best cook.”

Ignis laughed, “It’s alright. I appreciate the effort.”

Astra had cooked with Ignis before. He would often visit her in her apartment with groceries and other amenities she was unknowingly running low on. She knew how to cook basic and common dishes, but Ignis was practically a chef even if he had no formal training. His cooking could set world renowned chefs to shame, and even now in his mini-kitchen, Ignis continued to live up to his experienced palette. Supper was easy to make, and it didn’t really require four hands. But, Astra enjoyed spending that time with Ignis that reminded her of the past. Now sitting back in her seat between Gladio and Noctis, Astra enjoyed her supper just like the rest of the boys. In between bites, she noticed Noctis shaking his head in visible pain.

“You good?” Astra asked Noctis. “Your head is still hurting?”

“It just comes and goes. It’s not there one minute, and the next, it’s throbbing.”

Astra reached for the inside of her jacket, but Noctis shook his head.

“I’m fine,” he voiced. “It’s gone now.”

Reluctantly, Astra left her pills inside her jacket. She wanted to ask Noctis some more questions about what he saw and if he heard a voice like she did then decided against it at the last minute. But Gladio turned to Astra.

“How’s your head?” asked Gladio in between bites.

After swallowing her own food, Astra answered, “Well, I think the hangover is gone, but the headache is still there. Not any different than usual, though.”

“Than usual?” asked Prompto.

“Since I turned 13, I’ve been prone to having headaches,” explained Astra. “But I’ve gotten used to them.”

“Thought you were getting treatment for that?” asked Noctis.

Astra shrugged, “I was, but nothing worked. Not really. If I took any more medication, I wouldn’t have been able to carry on with my responsibilities.”

“So you’re not taking anything now?” asked Gladio.

“Just over-the-counter pain relief if it gets too bad. Iris got it for me,” said Astra. “You have a very caring sister— what happened to you , Gladio?”

“I was born with the name ‘Gladiolus’ to the King’s Shield,” answered Gladio flatly. “That, and I was tiny. Easy to bully.”

Noctis spoke with his mouth full, “I don’t remember you ever being tiny.”

“You don’t remember a lot of things,” retorted Gladio.

Astra reached over to Gladio and awkwardly patted his back, “I hear your voice.”

Gladio shook Astra’s hand off of him, and they all laughed. Probably not a laughing matter, but they were also all terrible at properly processing their emotions. A few bites later, and they had all finished their dinner. The night was chilly, and Ignis quickly prepared and handed everyone a hot drink. Astra looked up at the starry sky, a thing she rarely did. Whenever she did, it felt like she was indulging in some sort of self-praise and glory. Noctis set his empty cup on the ground and rubbed his hands together, hoping to warm them up.

“So what was that back there?” asked Prompto. “In the cave? The glowing light?”

“That wasn’t you?” Gladio asked Noctis.

“No,” answered Noctis. “I think that was her.”

Feeling the eyes on her, Astra turned her attention back to those around her, “What happened?”

“That was you back there, right?” asked Noctis. “The hand-glowing thing.”

“Oh, that was my blessing.”

“Your blessing?” asked Prompto.

“You mean to say you figured out how to permanently bless others?” asked Ignis.

Prompto turned to look back and forth at Ignis and Astra repeatedly, “Am I the only one who’s lost?”

“I’m sure you’ve heard of the Oracle’s blessings; hers entail prolonged life and cures to disease. But, kings of old have been depicted holding the same ability to bless others with different benefits; their blessing protects the blessed from harm and strengthens them,” explained Ignis naturally. “That was what we saw in the cave.”

“When did you bless him?” asked Gladio.

“Before you guys left. I did it in front of you all,” mentioned Astra. “I’m just surprised it took this long for you to need it. Guess you do take care of yourself, Little Noct.”

“Don’t call me that,” replied Noctis.

Astra laughed at her brother’s reaction; ever since they were children, Noctis hated being called by his nickname but only when it was Astra doing it. Because of this, she rarely ever did, but she never asked why. Feeling the piercing gaze of the other three around the siblings, Astra shifted her attention from her little brother.

“No, not all of you are blessed. Bestowing a blessing requires a large amount of concentrated magic.” Astra answered the questions they asked in their minds. “It’s a detailed process that requires fine control because the magic is constantly filtered out with new and stronger magic coming directly from me.”

“So it’s similar to how we’re able to summon our weapons through Noct?” asked Gladio.

“Yes, essentially. Mine is like an add-on that makes you a little stronger and saves you in the worst case scenario,” answered Astra. “At first, my blessings didn’t last very long, but now they’re permanent.”

“You’ve blessed others?” asked Prompto.

Yeah. For some, it was temporary since I was just figuring it out. But for others…” Astra sighed heavily. “It was to the bitter end.”

“That’s how you knew Dad was dead.” Noctis didn’t ask. He was stating it like he already knew, but he looked at Astra, wanting to confirm his theory.

Astra nodded, “Yeah.”

Noctis looked at his hand, the hand Astra blessed, and recalled the warm sensation of her blessing. The memory of him leaving the Citadel appeared in his mind, and he saw his father, smiling ever so kindly. Noctis clenched his hand to the point it hurt. He looked at Astra who obviously tried to make sure he wouldn’t be able to see any of her internal pain, but leaving it to his imagination only made it worse. He wondered how Astra felt when her magic returned to her. Did it feel like receiving a missing piece of a puzzle? Or did it feel empty and harrowing? His thoughts raced as he wondered what would become of her if he too died— what Astra would feel as her magic returned to her once again, declaring her brother was gone, just like their father.

Feeling a sudden warm sensation on his cheek, Noctis was drawn away from his thoughts and back to reality. Astra stood before him, holding his cup in hand. He could see the steam leaving the drink, letting him know she had filled his empty cup. Noctis took the cup, and Astra ruffled his hair. Normally, he would have instantly moved his head, finding her attention to be overbearing and antagonistic, but it didn’t feel like that this time. It felt warm, but Noctis convinced himself it was, in reality, the drink in his hand.

Already sitting down, Astra began conversing normally. Gladio and Ignis followed the flow; Prompto took a little longer to recuperate after the heavy conversation. While everyone spoke and joked around, Noctis remained silent, watching his loved ones. Stars adorned the sky, and fireflies graced their surroundings. His hands and chest felt warm, and Noctis wished the moment would never end.

Being back in Lestallum made Astra long for the chill of the night. She hated winter and summer alike but would rather swaddle herself in clothes than seriously contemplate undressing in the middle of the street. She envied Gladio who only wore an unbuttoned short sleeve shirt. Jared, Talcott, and Iris were already waiting for them in the hotel’s lobby.

“Princess Astra! Prince Noctis!” Talcott jumped up and down at the mere sight of the royal siblings. “Welcome back!”

“Your story was right,” said Astra to Talcott. “Now, Noctis is stronger thanks to you.”

“Even stronger than you?”

“That’s up to him. Power is meaningless in hands that don’t know how to control it.”

“Yeah, I get it. Practice makes perfect,” said Noctis.

“You’ve done well, my boy,” Jared told Noctis.

Astra suddenly felt her head begin throbbing again and the same whispers from before echoed throughout her mind. She closed her eyes, attempting to will the pain away without alerting anyone. With the pain threatening to overtake her, Astra could feel the floor move beneath her, and hoping to restore her balance, she opened her eyes to find Noctis experiencing the same aching pain from earlier as well.

“What is it?” Iris asked Noctis, noticing his pain.

“He’ll be fine,” assured Gladio. “But we should probably check out the Disc.”

Prompto quietly approached Astra with a worried gaze, placing his arm on her back to provide her some sort of support, “You okay?”

“For now,” swallowed Astra. Noticing that Noctis’ pain had passed, Astra spoke to her brother, “It’s Titan.”

“Titan? As in the Archaean, Titan?” asked Iris.

Astra only nodded. Her throat felt dry.

“How do you—” A light bulb turned on inside Ignis’ head. “Your headaches weren’t just from the hangover, were they?”

“Like I said, I’m prone to headaches, so I thought it was just that. But I felt something when Noctis was suffering from the visions outside the cave,” explained Astra.

“How do you know it’s Titan?” asked Gladio. “Don’t tell me this is some weird twin connection thing.”

“I don’t, and it’s not,” answered Astra. “But I know what divine intervention feels like, and that was it. I only know it’s Titan ‘cause of what Noctis saw. I didn’t see anything. Just heard a voice.”

Ignis appeared curious, “What did it say?”

“I couldn’t understand it,” lied Astra, and she didn’t even know why.

“Well, if we want to look at the Disc, the viewer thingies are our best,” said Prompto.

Ignis crossed his arms, “No substitute for being on site, but it will have to do.”

Their next destination was set. Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto were the first ones out the hotel. Astra waited for Noctis to move, but he stood still, lost in thought. She placed a hand on his shoulder, surprising him out of his pensive state.

“What is it?” asked Astra.

Noctis looked at Astra with earnestness, “What aren’t you telling us? And don’t try saying it’s nothing! I can still tell when you’re hiding something.”

For a moment, Astra wanted to tell him— tell him everything. She wanted to tell him about what she saw in her dreams when she turned 13, about what happened to her on the frontlines— why she left, about his fate, and about the strange words Titan drilled into her mind. But, she didn’t. She couldn’t. Astra never told him this, but now that he was older, Noctis resembled their father more and more. Every now and then, she’d mistake Noctis for her father and barely save herself from the pain of calling out to him. It was in their eyes.

“I don’t tell you a lot of things, Noctis. But, trust me.” Astra cupped the back of her brother’s head and touched his forehead with her own. “You are always my priority.”

Astra didn’t let the caring mood carry on and pulled Noctis away from her by pulling his hair. Before walking away to join the rest of the guys, she flashed him the same mischievous smile she had after beating him in a game when they were children. Noctis rubbed the back of his head with a sigh and followed after his sister. Just like when they were kids.

Noctis knew she wasn’t lying. She rarely did to him. Instead, she’d make sure he only learned there was a problem after she managed to fix it herself. It was like that when they were kids, and it was the same even now. He knew that Astra was always thinking about him. But, he wasn’t a child anymore. He was stronger and older, capable of protecting himself and others. It was his turn to protect his sister.

Chapter Text

Lestallum’s outlook was the perfect spot to look at the Disc of Cauthess; only from a distance, of course. Still, even from there, the scenery was beautiful. The outlook bordered the edge of the cliff Lestallum was placed on, and Astra could feel the wind ride up the walls of the cliff to provide a more than satisfying breeze. Maybe it was because she was always busy back in Insomnia and cooped indoors that she really liked scenic spots like Lestallum. Killing daemons and monsters every now and then was a provided bonus. 

“Aw yeah! Look at this view!” Prompto jumped through the crowd and leaned onto the brick railing. “We have to get a shot of us all together.”

“Don’t forget why we came here,” reminded Ignis.

“Yeah, but a quick photo won’t hurt,” reasoned Prompto. “Right, Noct?”

Noctis, who wasn’t even paying attention, nodded, “Yeah, why not?”

Prompto quickly set up his tripod and camera. Astra didn’t even know where the tripod appeared from; she could only assume he had summoned it the same way Noctis summons his fishing rod. All five of them stood in front of the camera. Being the tallest among them, Gladio and Ignis stood furthest in the back. Astra stood in front of them with Prompto on one side and Noctis on the other. She was ready for the photo until Prompto turned to her with a frown.

“Aw, come on. Smile some,” said Prompt.

“I am smiling,” replied Astra, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, but that’s like your business smile— the one you put on when you’re being interviewed or something. I want your smile— yeah! Like that!”

Astra did feel the change on her face but didn’t think it was something notable. Prompto quickly went back to the camera, pressed a button, and rushed back to his position. Within seconds, she could hear the click of the camera, and Prompto ran back to the camera and brought the camera back to them. Their five heads crowded together in an attempt to look at the photo Prompto took.

“Wait, is that how I look when I’m with Gladio?” asked Astra, finally realizing just how tall he was.

“Gladio makes everyone look small,” answered Prompto.

“What a coincidence,” said another voice, almost familiar to Astra.

Everyone turned to look at who spoke, covering Astra. She pushed past them and saw a man dressed in dark clothes with a worn coat and a strange accessory on his left arm, appearing to be some sort of mobile shield. His hair was a dark red, and his eyes unsettled Astra. Her throat felt dry and her breathing quickened. She felt the blood rush to her head but blamed Titan instead. Astra didn’t know this man, and she didn’t want to.

“Something tells me it’s not,” answered Gladio.

“You know him?” asked Astra.

“We met only once in a passing moment,” answered the man with a shrewd smile. “Now, I’m not one to stand on ceremony, but I believe I should properly introduce myself. Please, call me Ardyn.”

Astra had the strangest sensation of deja vu. She lost herself momentarily in her memories attempting to recall where she recognized him from, but her attention was brought back when she felt someone hold her hand. Back in the present, Astra noticed that it was Ardyn who took her hand as he bowed to kiss it. Without warning, Noctis took her hand away from him and the other three stepped forward, standing between Astra and Ardyn; at the very front, Prompto was intensely glaring at Ardyn. If looks could kill, Prompto would have been arrested for manslaughter. But, it wasn’t just him. Noctis and the other two seemed to share the same feelings as Prompto.

“I apologize. I overstepped ,” explained Ardyn, raising his hands to indicate his harmless intentions, followed by a bow. “I humbly greet the great and venerable Lucian Princess, Astra Lucis Caelum.”

“How do you know who she is?” asked Prompto.

“Well, the familial resemblance is uncanny, and the hair only further confirms what are otherwise baseless suspicions,” answered Ardyn.

Astra glanced at the hair on her shoulders. Although her roots retained her natural dark grey color, the tips of her hair were lighter, appearing white. She never cared about its appearance, but now in a time where her presence was best left hidden, Astra began to lament her unnatural hair.

“Aren’t nursery rhymes curious things?” asked Ardyn as he looked out to the Disc of Cauthess. “Like this one: From the deep, the Archaean calls. Yet on deaf ears, the gods’ tongues falls. The King made to kneel, in pain, he crawls.”

“So...how do we keep him on his feet?” asked Prompto.

“You need only to answer the call. Visit the Archaean and hear his plea,” replied Ardyn. “I can take you.”

“We in?” asked Gladio.

“Hold up. The Disc is blocked by the empire,” reminded Astra. “It’s off limits.”

“I have a certain pull within the empire. You needn’t worry, Your Highness,” explained Ardyn.

“We’ll take a ride but watch our backs,” said Gladio.

The group looked at Noctis for approval. Something told Astra that Ardyn couldn’t be trusted, but they did need his help. Without him, visiting Titan was nearly impossible, and they didn’t have the time for a frontal assault on the empire’s blockade.

“Fine. Let’s do it,” answered Noctis.

As soon as Noctis finished speaking, his phone rang. Maybe it was a sign from the Astrals. It was a short call where Noctis only nodded and answered with “Okays” and “Yesses.” He hung up and returned to the conversation normally.

“Any way we can put this off for a bit?” Noctis asked Ardyn, puzzling everyone he was with.

Without missing a bit or appearing curious, Ardyn smiled, “Of course. I am here to humbly serve. When you’re ready, I’ll be here.”

With that said, Ardyn walked away with a little sway. Astra could only assume he left before she could ask any more questions. She had too many suspicions. Every nerve in her body tensed at the sigh of the man, and his voice made her skin crawl. It was a rather cruel reaction to a stranger, but Astra knew something else lurked beneath the man. Whether it be a monster or a daemon, Astra didn't care. She knew he was dangerous.

“What was that about?” asked Astra.

“Ardyn or the call?” asked Prompto.

“Both.”

“We brushed shoulders with the guy back in Galdin Quay. Wasn’t anything special, but definitely managed to leave an impression,” explained Gladio. “As for the call?”

“It was Cid,” said Noctis. “Before we left Hammerhead, I left some weapons with him so he could upgrade them. He just called to tell me they’re ready.”

“It would be best to have our best weapons on hand for whatever lies ahead,” reasoned Ignis.

Astra took a moment, “Yeah. Especially with how shady that guy was. I don’t trust him.”

“You don’t trust anyone,” retorted Noctis. “But neither do I. And yet, he’s our best shot.”

“Well, if things do go south,” Astra smiled smugly. “I can always swoop in and save the day. Like I always do.”

Noctis scoffed, “Okay, sure.”

Noctis walked off, and the rest followed. But Astra’s chills persisted. It felt as though she were being secretly watched— as if her every move were being analyzed and pieced apart. She turned every which way but saw no one. Astra could only assume it was the lasting impression Ardyn made on her. He felt familiar and dangerous. He scared her, and she didn’t scare easily. Seeing him made her feel like she had something missing withing her, and that scared her even more.

The sun was scorching, and they could all feel the sweat pour down their backs, except Astra. She sat in the driver seat while the four pushed the car: Gladio and Noctis from the back, and Ignis and Prompto from the side.

“This is what happens when you let Little Noct drive,” complained Astra.

“If you’re not pushing, shut it,” groaned Noctis.

“Wanna say that again?” Astra almost jumped out of her seat.

“Enough!” yelled Ignis as he stopped pushing the car.

Ignis pinched the bridge of his nose as all attention remained on him. Since it was meant to be a simple trip down a road Noctis was already familiar with, Ignis decided Noctis was ready to take the wheel. It was smooth driving until Noctis, who had been watching the inside of his eyelids instead of the road, crashed the car into traffic barriers. Somehow, that was more than enough for the Regalia to give out on them. Luckily, they were closer to Hammerhead than they were to Lestallum.

“At this rate, we’ll never arrive in Hammerhead,” sighed Ignis. “I suggest we park the car off road and walk the rest of the way.”

“Walking?” whined Prompto. “Yay.”

The boys pushed the car off the side of the road near a bush, hoping it would provide some sort of cover. For added effect, Gladio rolled a boulder next to the bush as if it were the most logical thing to do. Considering the fact that Hammerhead is located in Leide, a desert land, there wasn’t much they could do to hide the Regalia, but Ignis assured that their biggest worry would be curious animals and daemons. And so, they left their car and camping supplies to walk the rest of their journey to Hammerhead.

The last time Astra had to walk such a long distance was when she was serving in the frontlines. She hated it then, and she hated it now. Leide’s weather was hot but in a dry way. To soothe her and her comrades, Astra would form icicles out of her ice magic and gave each person one. It didn’t stop Noctis from chiming in with a “Damn, it’s hot” comment almost every five minutes which infuriated Astra. Relief spread across their faces when they saw the tall signs reading “HAMMERHEAD” in the distance. At the mere sight of the sign, Prompto’s energy was replenished, and he ran straight ahead for the outpost. Gladio jogged after him, but Ignis, Noctis, and Astra dragged their feet behind them. By the time Astra, Ignis, and Noctis had made it to the outpost, Gladio and Prompto were already talking to Cindy whose eyes lit up at the sight of the three and waved with a smile. 

“Now, I knew y’all would be coming soon, but I can’t help but notice there’s a little something missing,” said Cindy as the other three approached her.

“His fault.” Astra pointed to Noctis.

“We had a small mishap on our journey here,” calmly explained Ignis. “The Regalia gave out on us, and we were forced to leave her momentarily on the side of the road.”

“Why didn’t y’all call us to tow her?” asked Cindy.

Silence.

“Y’all do know we offer that service, right?” A small laugh escaped Cindy.

“It...may have escaped our minds at that moment,” answered Prompto.

“Well, I’m afraid y’all are gonna have to wait ‘till tomorrow to get ‘er back. Our tow truck was just sent out for another customer pretty far from here. Hope that’s alright. I would go myself to check ‘er out, but.” Cindy motioned to the setting sun.

“Yeah, it’s alright,” assured Astra. “It’s on us.”

“Since this means y’all are gonna be staying the night, you’re welcome to bunk with me, Astra.”

Cindy patted Astra on her back with a sigh and left them on their own. Astra looked to the distance where the sun began to tuck itself away under the horizon. Truthfully, she had always loved watching the sunset even when she knew about the dangers that lurked under the night’s sky. But lately, she’s noticed that the days were getting shorter— that the setting sun arrived far earlier than usual, and it worried her. Astra had learnt to fight almost every monster and daemon imaginable, but the foe she had never been able to win against was always time. And time was never satisfied.

Chapter Text

The rattling of steel hitting the ground echoed throughout the room, waking an alarmed Astra from her sleep. Still hazy with sleep in her eyes, Astra sat up from the bed and frantically analyzed the room in search for the cause of the sound. Cindy, dressed in her yellow jacket and shorts, stood still with wide eyes like a deer caught by a car’s headlights, holding a wrench in her hands.

“Sorry.” Cindy spoke softly. She pointed at Astra’s hand, “Were you that scared?”

Astra followed Cindy’s finger and found herself holding a dagger. She magically dematerialized the dagger and let her body drop back onto the bed as she sighed out of relief. Cindy walked over to her and covered her with her blanket.

“It’s a habit.” A fearful thought bled into Astra’s mind, and she raised her head to look at Cindy with a tense gaze. “Did I scare you? Or even—”

Cindy pushed Astra’s head back onto the pillow with her finger, “Fortunately for us both, you’re a clear thinker. Even half asleep.”

“Well, you haven’t seen me angry.”

“I’ve seen you half-dead and tired, so I think that counts.”

Astra didn’t know what time it was. Cindy didn’t have anything to tell time in her room. Or maybe she did, somewhere behind all the random tools she has scattered around the room. But, Astra could see the sun shining through the window’s sheer curtains, and birds sang in the distance.

“What time is it?” asked Astra.

“Mmmm somewhere around 9?” guessed Cindy. “Everybody else is up if ya wanna know.”

“Except Little Noct?”

“Except him.” Cindy skipped over to the room’s door and lingered. “I’ll tell ‘em you’re up.”

With a bitter laugh, Astra groaned as she rolled her body out of bed, “Guess I am now.” 

Dressed in the same clothes she’d been wearing when she first left Hammerhead, Astra approached Takka’s Diner. A part of her felt embarrassed at the fact she was wearing the same change of clothes, but it wasn’t like she had packed a bag before leaving Insomnia. Instead, she tried to appreciate that she had left any clothes in Hammerhead with Cindy from her past visits. Besides, practically everyone else wore the same outfit every day; even Ignis, Gladio, Prompto, and Noctis did, with the exception of two or three outfits they wore when they felt like it. Inside the diner, Ignis and Gladio sat together, finishing their meal. Astra plopped herself next to Ignis. She slouched in her seat. Still unwilling to admit she was awake, Astra rested her head against Ignis' arm who remained indifferent.

“It seems Noct is starting to rub off on you,” said Ignis.

“Well, good morning to you, too,” replied Astra.

“Easy, Iggy. Sleeping in used to be a luxury for her,” defended Gladio.

An older waitress approached the table without opening the small notebook all waiters carried, “Morning, you’re gonna want the usual, hun?”

“Please,” answered Astra.

The waiter left, and Gladio kicked Astra’s leg under the table. She jumped up with wide eyes, surprised by the sudden pain. That certainly woke her up, and not in a good way. 

“What was that about?” asked Gladio, motioning to the waiter with his head.

“I’ve been here before. But did you have to kick me?” Rubbing her leg with her hands, Astra frowned and settled herself properly in her seat. “Are your shoes lined with silver? Hell, man.”

“Oh? I forgot.”

“Forgot what ? I’m a princess?”

“You’re a girl,” replied Gladio without missing a beat.

Astra stopped rubbing her leg and took a cutlery knife from Ignis’ hand, “I should stab you.”

“Can’t blame me,” laughed Gladio as he took the knife from Astra and returned it to Ignis. “You should be happy I don’t see you like that.”

Laughing, Gladio messed with Astra’s hair from across the table, and Astra slapped his hand away. As she combed her hair back into position with her hand, Astra saw Prompto through the window near the garage, carrying what appeared to be a heavy box.

“What’s Prompto doing?” asked Astra as she finished combing her hair.

“Helping Cindy, I assume,” answered Ignis.

“Yeah. Prompto was raving all about her before—”

Bumping his leg against the table and making it shake, Gladio winced in pain and glared at Ignis, but Astra didn’t pay them any mind and continued watching Prompto through the window. She saw Cindy approach Prompto as she pointed somewhere. Prompto smiled at Cindy, and Astra suddenly felt heavy.

“Knowing them both, they would get along nicely,” admitted Astra as the waitress dropped off Astra’s food. She nodded to the waitress as a way of thanks and prepared to dig in, “And I’m pretty sure she is his type.”

“Type? I don’t think he has a type ,” lied Gladio pathetically.

Astra gave Gladio a skeptical look. “Even I heard about his awful luck in his past relationships,” said Astra between bites. “Noctis is, surprisingly, an avid gossiper.”

“And what exactly is his type? According to you?” asked Gladio, leaning onto the table with eagerness.

Astra thought about it as she finished eating the food in her mouth, but in truth, it didn’t take much effort to come to a conclusion, “Girls who are confident. Bold. Self-made. And a touch of a femme fatale ‘cause he likes the struggle.”

Ignis and Gladio met eyes and nodded their heads silently with satisfaction, and yet Astra sensed a hint of disappointment or pity. But, she couldn’t understand why, and the two could tell Astra had no idea what exactly she had pointed out.

Looking at Astra, Ignis smiled piteously, “Well, you certainly are right.”

“Damn, I feel bad for the kid,” whispered Gladio.

Astra began to worry about the Regalia as time passed. Noctis was already up, and so Astra knew it was noon. Still, no sign of the car. She’d been entertaining herself with the two arcade games inside Takka’s Diner and occasionally switched to her phone to play King’s Knight. Prompto and Noctis loved the game, and although it was pleasurable, it wasn’t Astra’s kind of game. Speaking of Prompto, he’d been holed up, helping Cindy with odd jobs all morning. He appeared happy, and why wouldn’t he be? Prompto was a technophile, and Cindy was the goddess of cars. They were two peas in a pod. Eventually, Astra willed herself to approach Cindy who was working in the garage, but when she walked in, she only found Prompto. He had small grease stains on his face and on his hands. 

“Where’s Cindy?” asked Astra.

Prompto simply pointed to the floor near a car in the middle of the garage. On cue, Cindy rolled out from underneath the car using a floor roller. Cindy had even more grease on her face than Prompto did, but that was to be expected.

“What’s the matter?” asked Cindy as she wiped her hand with a towel Prompto handed her.

“Don’t mean to rush, but it’s been a while. And there’s still no sign of the tow or the Regalia,” answered Astra.

“That’s weird. He should’ve been here by now.” Cindy set down the towel and picked up her phone. Within a second, she was talking to someone. For some reason, Prompto approached Astra’s side and waited for Cindy.

“What about you?” asked Astra as she wiped some grease off his face. “I see you’ve been busy.”

Embarrassed, Prompto finished wiping the rest of the grease off his face, “Oh, yeah. I was just hoping I could learn some things. We can’t always rely on Cindy.”

“Makes sense.” Astra held her hands tightly behind her back. Her throat felt a dry. “Nothing else?”

“What else could there be?”

“My driver’s phone is off. I checked with others, and they haven’t heard zilch from him since last night,” interrupted Cindy.

Astra knew their luck, “I have a bad feeling about this.”

She jinxed it. It hadn’t even been a minute since she spoke when Gladio came running into the garage.

“Some guy just showed up all beat up. Says he’s the tow driver,” informed Gladio.

The four ran out of the garage and went outside. Ignis and Noctis were talking to two men. One was older, probably in his late 30s, and the other appeared bruised and wore a uniform with Cindy’s garage logo on his chest, definitely the tow driver. They sat the tow driver on a lawn chair outside the garage that Cid frequently sat in to rest in throughout the day.

“What happened?” asked Noctis.

“I was just doing my job. I went to pick up the car and there were some thugs just standing around— I knew they were trouble, but I still asked them to move so I could do my job,” explained the tow driver as he applied a bag of ice to his face that Ignis had given him. “They beat me up and took the car.”

“I found him lying unconscious off the road. They didn’t touch the tow truck, but he was in no condition to drive. So, I did,” said the other man. The man did a double take when he looked at Astra. She pretended not to notice since it was rather common because of her hair, but she could sense there was something more to it.

“Prompto, could you help Marty inside the diner?” asked Cindy.

Prompto did as told, leaving the unidentified man with the rest of the group.

“Can’t thank you enough for that, mister,” said Cindy to the man.

The man’s attention left Astra, “Call me Axel, and it’s no problem. Helping Lucians is what I do.”

“You a hunter?” asked Gladio, noticing the man’s familiar get-up.

“I am now.” Axel appeared hesitant to speak. “...I was a Glaive before.”

Astra’s eyes rushed to meet Axel’s. She didn't have to think about it, and she didn't waste any time. The moment she heard the words her body moved on its own, and her sword materialized into her hand. Everybody, except Axel, jumped up at the sight of her weapon. 

“What the hell, Astra!” yelled Noctis.

Astra didn’t answer, but she also didn’t put away her sword. Axel nodded his head as if he carried it with regret.

“I understand. I could recognize you as soon as I saw you, Princess. I thought maybe it’d be best if I didn’t reveal my identity, but if you were anything like the stories I heard, then you’d find out either way. The Princess has plenty of reasons to distrust, Your Highness.” Axel kneeled down onto the ground and bowed his head. “But I assure you, I kept my oath and my allegiance forever lies with Lucis. Past and present.”

Astra closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The memories of that fateful day replayed in her head. All the fire, the screaming, and the crying. All the pain and death. It never left her. It haunted her in silence and in the shadows. Every day, she was afraid that it would overwhelm and get the best of her. And if it did, who knew what harm she could bring to those close to her? Last time, it was King Regis’ office, but who knew what would happen next time? Maybe she’d hurt Prompto or even Noctis.

She opened her eyes and looked to the sky, hoping gravity could force her tears back into her eyes. It had only been a few seconds, but she felt like she had been standing there for minutes, deciding what Axel’s fate would be. She looked down at the man who kneeled before her, willing to lay down his life. And for what? Astra didn’t even know the man existed until today. Truth is, she barely knew any of the Glaives or Crownsguard. Among them, countless were dead and their loved ones will probably never know if they were traitors or loyal. Their sacrifice would be forgotten by history, and the future will never remember their names. But whether she liked it or not, history would remember Astra. They would describe her personality and list her accomplishments. Would this be recorded to? How an innocent Glaive’s life was taken by the princess’ needless vengeance?

“On your feet,” said Astra as she dematerialized her sword. “There’s no reason for you to carry the weight of my vengeance.”

Axel looked up at Astra as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Astra could imagine he felt similar to her— that he’d let down those who trusted him and continued to live on shamelessly. And apparently, Astra was able to somehow relieve him of such burden. She didn’t feel worthy of such power over selfless people like him. Axel stood back up and wiped the dirt off his knees. Behind him, Astra could see Prompto looking straight at her into her eyes; he had seen the entire spectacle. Astra wondered what face Prompto saw on her that made him look so distraught. But, she didn't want to know and looked away immediately instead.

“About these thugs.” Gladio changed the conversation.

“Pirates. Seems they set up shop somewhere around here,” informed Cindy.

“Pirates? On land?” asked Prompto, approaching the group.

“Well, ol’ Paw paw calls ‘em that just ‘cause they steal from small outposts and broken down cars,” answered Cindy. “And well, no cars ain’t good for business.”

“You wouldn't happen to have any idea where they’ve set up base, would you?” Ignis asked Axel.

Happy to be of help, Axel smiled, “I think I do, actually.

“Are we leaving now? The sooner we get her back, the sooner we can get back to Lestallum,” said Astra. “I may not like that Ardyn guy, but I don’t want to keep him waiting either.”

“Ardyn?” asked Cindy.

Everyone was surprised Cindy recognized the name, including Astra

“You know him?” asked Prompto.

“No, I just...feel like I’ve heard the name before. Wasn't it from you, Astra?” asked Cindy.

Astra shook her head, “I just met the guy.”

“Huh.”

“Oh! Can we ride chocobos? Pretty please,” begged Prompto, changing the conversation.

Ignis adjusted his glasses, “It appears it is the only form of transportation left to us, so yes.”

Prompto jumped into the air out of glee and skipped his way to the Chocobo Rental. As far as Astra knew, there were Chocobo Rentals in almost every gas station and outpost. She didn’t understand how the chocobos appeared within seconds of being called. Maybe they had some form of magic. Astra thought about asking Prompto about it, but the face he made earlier came to mind. And, she decided against it.

Everybody had their own chocobo to ride. Axel was coming with, but Cindy was staying behind. She was the only left to take care of the garage since Cid was out somewhere else. Chocobos were a little stinky, but their feathers were soft, reminding Astra of her bed back in the Citadel. Oh, how she longed for that bed. Axel took the team down a beat down path adorned with bones along the way, both human and animal. There were makeshift signs with different warnings, each meant to scare uninvited visitors more than help them. As the path became narrower, fog rolled in, and Astra could see lit fires in the distance accompanied with several voices. The group left their chocobos and proceeded on foot.

“How did they even move the Regalia into camp if this is how narrow their path is?” asked Prompto in a whisper as they grew closer to the camp.

“They probably have another path, hidden away,” reasoned Ignis.

The camp used surrounding bushes and trees as cover to hide away from the rest of civilization. It was also surrounded by some large rocks and boulders. Really, it was the perfect spot to set camp if you were a criminal. Astra counted more than twenty pirates, men and women, all armed. 

“What’s the plan, Your Highness?” Axel asked Astra in a whisper as they all hid behind a bush.

They all looked at Axel in silence; no one dared to correct him.

“I’m not the one in charge of this retinue, Axel. My brother is,” said Astra as she nodded to Noctis.

“I apologize. I didn’t mean to assume—”

“It’s fine. I get it,” interrupted Noctis.

Noctis surveyed the camp from behind his bush. Astra could see him thinking deeply. She could tell because he was scratching his index finger with his thumb, a habit from when he was younger whenever he was in deep thought. It was a tell she would also use to her advantage whenever they played together. Noctis always thought she was cheating.

“Okay, this is the plan. Iggy, you and Astra go around. Try finding that other road you talked about and make sure no one tries escaping through there,” said Noctis. “The rest of us are gonna push them in and—”

An inhuman screech erupted and echoed throughout the camp. Everyone fell silent, pirates included. Astra and the rest scurried in place, trying to find the reason for the screech, only to find a chocobo standing not far off from them with a puzzled look. It was ready to screech once more, but Prompto jumped up and shut its beak with his arms.

“Bad chocobo!” whispered Prompto in a sweet voice.

“I thought you guys tied them,” whispered Astra between her teeth.

“We did,” yelled Noctis in a whisper.

“Well, well. What do we have here,” said another unfamiliar voice near them.

They all looked up from their bush and found a group of pirates already surrounding them. They held their weapons in hand and smiled, showing their ugly, rotten teeth and spreading their disgusting breath for all to smell. One of the pirates held a sword and pointed it directly to Astra. He wore an eyepatch and dressed like a hunter and appeared to be the boss, but maybe it was just Astra thinking that because he appeared to be the cleanest one out of all of them. He was truly selling the pirate role.

“ Good chocobo,” said the man with a sinister smile.

Chapter Text

“This is so embarrassing,” muttered Astra under her breath.

“Shut it!” yelled a pirate as he pushed her into a makeshift cell.

Instead of hitting the ground, Astra was caught by Prompto who helped soften her fall. They all had their hands tied behind their back. Astra had to admit, whoever tied them did a good job. Even then, she felt that with enough time and effort she’d be able to rip through the rope, but Ignis advised against it until they learned of the Regalia’s position.

“Did they use two ropes on you?” Prompto asked Gladio as Astra balanced herself.

“The tragedies of having too much muscle,” joked Gladio.

“Are you guys seriously joking right now?” asked Noctis.

The pirate boss approached the cell. Astra could hear some clanking metal whenever he took a step but couldn’t figure out what it was. He grazed the cell’s wooden bars with his sword, intending to intimidate, but the sound only annoyed Astra.

“So, does anyone care to tell me what exactly it is you were doing around my camp?” asked the pirate boss. “I’m sure you’re aware it’s rude to pry into matters that don’t involve you.”

“Well, well we’re from, we typically introduce ourselves first,” remarked Noctis sarcastically.

“Oh! How could I forget my manners with such polite intruders. I am Creel, and this is my crew.” The crew laughed on cue, and Astra wondered how many times they’d practice that. “And to whom do I owe the pleasure?”

“My name is—”

“You have something of ours.” Astra interrupted Noctis as she kicked his leg.

“And what is that, pretty lady?” asked Creel in a song. Then, his eyes darkened, and he lost his smile. “Wait, I know you.”

Creel was looking at her hair. It’s always her hair. Astra was seriously thinking about dying it now. It didn’t take long for the realization to hit, and he erupted into uncontrollable laughter, weirding out everyone who didn’t know what he was thinking about. Creel suddenly reached into the cell and pulled Astra close to him by her hair. The boys immediately jumped forward to defend her, but the other pirates pointed their swords and daggers into the cell to keep them away. Some of them even had guns.

“I remember you! You’re the royal whore!” laughed Creel.

He held Astra’s face against the wooden bars of the cell. She could feel his breath on her face, and his eyes looked over her entire body.

“You, watch your mouth!” yelled Prompto as he inched closer, allowing the pirate’s blades to graze his clothes.

Behind her back, Astra held out her hand, hoping the guys would receive the message to stand down.

“It’s been a while since I last saw you, but I’m sure you don’t even know who I am. Do you, Your Highness?” Creel spoke mockingly and looked at the men that accompanied her. “And it appears you’ve been living up to your reputation, haven’t you, whore?”

By squeezing her foot between the bars, Astra used Creel’s body to push herself away from him. He didn’t loosen his grip, but she still slipped away from him at the cost of a few strands of her. Astra fell back and pushed Ignis and Prompto, who both tried to catch her, onto the ground with her. Creel held strands of Astra’s hair and glared at her as she stood back up. The look on his face was empty, but his eyes looked murderous. Astra didn’t even know the man, but she knew she had many nameless enemies. 

What surprised them all was that Creel burned the strands of hair he held with fire that erupted from his own hand. Without a need for communication, the entire group came to the same conclusion: Creel used to serve in the Kingsglaive. This immediately made him several times more dangerous, and now with her identity revealed, Astra knew that Creel had the upper hand. She had to be careful when making her next move.

“If you’re alive then that means…” Creel glanced at Noctis, and Astra shielded him from Creel’s sight with her body, making the man laugh. “I assume the car we picked up was yours then?”

Creel circled the cell, like a predator playing with its prey.

“You want it back?” he asked.

“If you know what’s good for you, you’ll give it back,” warned Gladio.

Creel laughed, “I’d probably feel threatened if I didn’t know you were from House Amicitia.”

Gladio was surprised anyone would recognize him, but Creel continued speaking, “Your tattoos? Anyways, I’ll cut you a deal—”

“No!” interrupted Noctis. “We won’t make deals with the likes of you!”

Gladio, Prompto, and Ignis were all ready for battle. Even Axel. But Astra refused.

“What deal?” asked Astra.

Noticing everyone’s surprises at Astra’s willingness, Creel laughed, “I did hear you were the smart one. Okay, it’s something simple, really. I just need coeurl whiskers.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it. Sammy, over here, needs it to upgrade his weapon,” said Creel, pointing at a random pirate. “Of course, to ensure that the deal is kept, the Princess would be staying behind while the rest of you retrieve the whiskers for Sammy.”

“Fine—”

“No!” This time, Noctis interrupted Astra.

Astra turned to Noctis who was ready to stand his ground. Creel glanced back and forth between the siblings, realizing the tension, and shrugged, “Looks like y’all have some talking to do. I’ll come back in five. I better have an answer.” With that, Creel and his lackeys left. There were few pirates surrounding them with guns from a distance. It was obvious they were there to make sure they didn’t escape.

“What are you doing?” Noctis asked Astra.

“They have guns, Noctis,” said Astra.

“We can warp!”

“They can’t!” yelled Astra, pointing to Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto; she assumed Axel could still warp since Creel could still use magic too. “And they can’t summon their weapons with their hands tied behind their back.”

Noctis looked at his friends. They looked down, ashamed of the fact that Astra was right. They hated knowing that they were the only reason they had to listen to Creel even after the way he treated Astra.

“I hate this even more than you do, but there are times when you just have to swallow your pride,” said Astra. “Men like Creel are dangerous but not for the reason you’d expect. They don’t mull over things like murder. The moment he loses interest and decides we are of no use to him, he’ll kill us without hesitation or remorse.”

“I don’t like the idea of leaving you behind with these animals,” said Noctis.

“You don’t have to, but you do need to trust me. I can hold out long enough while you guys get the coeurl whiskers.”

With closed eyes, Noctis took a deep breath, and then opened his eyes, “Hey, Creel!”

Creel, who was sitting at a table not far from them, approached the cell with vigor, “We have an agreement?”

Noctis reluctantly nodded his head. Creel opened the cell doors and allowed them to exit one by one. As each one exited, Creel personally cut the rope that tied them down. Ignis was about to be the last one to exit until Creel pulled him aside from the group and Astra.

“Actually, this one also stays here,” said Creel.

“That wasn’t the deal!” yelled Noctis.

“It’s alright,” assured Ignis as he looked at Astra and then at Noctis. “It’s better this way.”

The pirates began pushing the group away from the cell Astra was in and away from Ignis. Noctis didn’t turn his back to Astra. He kept his eyes on her in her cell and watched as her silver hair disappeared from sight, hidden by the bushes that surrounded the pirate’s camp.

It was evening now. Noctis could feel it in his stomach that demanded supper, but he wouldn’t stop for such a pleasure when both Astra and Ignis were being held hostage by the apparent ex-Glaive, Creel. Noctis didn’t understand the reason for Creel’s animosity or the reason why he treated Astra so horribly. He thought back to the scene where Creel mercilessly held Astra by her hair and how his disgusting eyes looked at her. Just thinking about Astra being surrounded by those pirates made Noctis sick. He only felt a miniscule amount of relief knowing that Ignis was there with her. 

Noctis and the rest of the group used the chocobos from earlier to travel; Noctis was rather surprised the pirates didn’t make their journey even more difficult by denying them the birds. He looked over at Prompto who still wore the same scowl from when Creel attacked Astra; clearly, he too was replaying the scene in his mind, imagining all the different ways he wished to have reacted to defend Astra. The way Prompto felt about Astra was as clear as day, and Noctis knew his sister reciprocated the feeling. Noctis wondered what exactly Prompto was feeling at that moment. Maybe it was the same way he felt whenever he thought about Luna when she was under Nifleheim’s control. But now, he didn’t even know if she was alive. Since he was young, Noctis was used to not knowing a lot of things. Government affairs, cooking, magic— the list was long. Noctis was now tired of not knowing.

“This should be the spot. We should ditch the birds,” said Gladio as he dismounted his chocobo. “Don’t want them to cause a ruckus like last time.”

The rest of the group dismounted from their chocobos too. They had arrived at Keycatrich Ruins; they left the birds at the outpost and continued on past the outpost. Noctis had been there before for a royal tomb. He still thought Astra was dead at the time, and remembering this, Noctis found his current circumstances ironic. Prompto, Gladio, and Noctis stuck together naturally, but Axel clearly felt like the outsider. Prompto, ever a kind soul, took it upon himself to include Axel and make meaningful small talk all at the same time.

“So, what the hell was that guy’s problem?” asked Prompto.

Keeping up with the rest of the boys, Axel answered, “Could be a lot of things, honestly. The Kingsglaive was made up of refugees for the most part. Most of us felt overlooked and taken advantage of by those sitting on high.”

“Even you?” asked Gladio.

“Yeah, even me for a time. It felt like the war wasn’t going to ever end, and it felt like no matter how many of us died, no one cared. Then we heard rumors about the Crown City’s favorite princess joining the frontlines,” answered Axel. “At first, we just thought it was some sort of publicity stunt, but then I saw her in action with my own eyes.”

“What was she like?” asked Noctis.

“She was young but fierce and composed. She fought like she cared— like a Glaive. I’m privileged to be able to call her a sister-in-arms.” Axel reminisced about his past with a smile. Even if it was war, he had made life-changing bonds with those he fought with, side-by-side. But now, he was alone. “Lots of rumors stirred up. Some said she was stronger than an infantry of men. Some said she actually wasn’t using magic and was using other Glaive’s magic and achievements as her own. Hell, I even heard that she had a sailor’s mouth on her, but I’m pretty sure that one was actually proven true.”

“Pfft. Astra? A sailor's mouth?” Laughing, Prompto asked with unbelief but then thought about it properly. “That does actually sound like her.”

Finally, Gladio asked the question they’d all been waiting for. “You said she had rumors. Is that what that Creel guy was talking about?”

Axel nodded his head with regret, “Yeah. With all the good, there was a whole lot of bad. Female Glaives always had it rough on the frontlines. Some good-for-nothings always stirred trouble with them, thinking them like some sort of prizes after a battle. Somehow a rumor started spreading around about the Princess, and well...I think you can all guess what happened. Even then, the Princess never let it weigh her down and carried on fighting.”

Prompto’s breath shuddered, “If that’s what it was like for her on the frontlines…”

“Makes sense why she wouldn’t tell us about any of it,” finished Gladio. “Astra’s always been like that.”

“Yeah, she is,” said Noctis underneath his breath.

“We’re here,” said Gladio.

They had finally arrived at the ruins. Leftovers of a past battle littered their surroundings. Tanks half-buried underground and singular walls that once belonged to buildings served as their cover. The coeurl resembled a cheetah except it was several times more magical with magically infused whiskers used to attack its prey. They weren’t impossible to kill, but due to its agility, it was definitely going to be a headache. But a headache was more than worth it as long as Noctis could get Astra away from that disgusting man. Noctis had already made a promise to protect his sister just as much as she’s protected him, now it was time to keep true to his word.

Chapter Text

With closed eyes, Astra could feel her body shake even though she was sitting down. She could feel the warmth of the sun on her eyelids and was blinded by the light when she finally willed herself to open her eyes. She was in the backseat of a car, and she felt smaller than usual. Looking down at her hands, Astra realized she was younger and her reflection in the car window confirmed her reaction. A sudden weight on her shoulder made her turn. It was Noctis, just as young as she was, and he was waking up from falling asleep in the car.

“Sorry,” muttered a young Noctis as he wiped the sleep from his eyes.

Astra noticed the bookbag at his feet. It was a memory from when they were younger and went to school together. The car came to a stop and her car door opened shortly after. The chauffeur closed the door once Astra and Noctis hopped out the vehicle and went on his merry way after wishing them a good day at school. Like usual, Noctis went off on his own without bidding his sister goodbye. Astra felt her body move, but it didn’t feel like she had any real control over it. She was simply a passenger viewing her memories through her own eyes.

The day was normal, and classes proceeded like usual. But even as a passenger, Astra could feel the building annoyance and anger inside of her younger body. The constant stares and whispers surrounding her didn’t help. It wasn’t until Astra paid attention to what they were saying that she recalled what day it was. In her memories, her father had recently announced Noctis as heir, shocking everyone, because Astra was the eldest and, according to them, the smartest. Young Astra didn’t care, and even now as an adult, she still didn’t care. But the whispers and stares— they were suffocating. She wanted it to stop.

It was lunch time. Every child brought their own meal to eat at their desk, and if they couldn’t, they’d head down to the shop for a substitute. Astra always had her own lunch. She never wanted; she always had what she needed. But even then, she was alone; meanwhile everyone around her gathered together into groups. A group of three kids approached her; their empty hands informed young Astra they didn’t approach to eat with her. Then, it was obvious they wanted something.

“Hello, Princess,” said one of the kids as he placed a hand on her desk. “How have you been?”

Neither young or adult Astra could recognize the child, “I’ve been well.”

The kid looked at the other two for some sort of confirmation and moral support. Without warning or consent, the child held Astra’s hand. It felt warm and sweaty. It was sticky. Astra wanted to eat her lunch peacefully, but now she couldn’t. The kid held onto her dominant hand without any sign of letting go.

“I just wanted to say, I think you should be the heir…” began the child.

Astra immediately muffled his voice in her mind. The amount of times she’d heard people whisper compliments to her in secret have been too many. She thought that by taking classes away from the Citadel, she’d be able to stop hearing them. But, no. They followed her even within her own school. She was a child, and yet, greedy adults were constantly waiting for the chance to exploit her. Maybe it was because she seemed pitiable. Maybe it was because her mom was dead or because her dad was dying. Maybe it was because she couldn’t use magic. The reasons were too many, but Astra no longer cared.

A scream broke out, and Astra was sucked out of her thoughts. She realized that the kid who once held her hand was now lying on the ground, holding his face; his nose appeared to be bleeding. Her desk had been moved out of the way, and she stood over him. Children in her class avoided the scene but stared intently with fear. It wasn’t until Astra noticed the book in her hand that she noticed she was the reason for their fear. A teacher came running in and anger overtook her once beautiful face. After being stuck with false smiles and empty compliments for so long, Astra found an odd sense of comfort in seeing her teacher’s honest rage, and the corners of her lips twitched as she held back a smile. Her teacher stomped her way towards her and pulled her out of the classroom with a firm grip. As she exited the room, the scene changed.

Astra was now taller and stronger. She was inside a dimly lit tent. She stood in a position of attention with her arms behind her back and wore her Kingsglaive uniform. With just this information, she knew what memory she was reliving. Another Glaive stood beside her, face covered in bruises; Astra smiled remembering she was the one who gave them to him. Before her, Drautos paced the room glaring at both Astra and the other Glaive. He had just finished reprimanding the two. Just seeing his face in her memories made Astra fill with rage.

Sitting down behind his desk, Drautos waved his hand, “You’re dismissed.” The Glaive and Astra turned, but Drautos spoke once again, “Not you, Astra.”

The Glaive smirked as he left. Astra turned to look back at Drautos who motioned to the chair before his desk. Astra begrudgingly sat down.

“You can’t abuse your power like that,” said Drautos.

“I didn’t!” shot back Astra as she leaned forward. “It was a fair and proper challenge. We got into a fight, which is a normal occurrence here, last I checked.”

“But, you’re the Princess—”

“Don’t give me that! You know that means nothing here.”

“No, but what you do here matters back there.”

Astra bit her lip as she rested her back against her chair. “There” was home, Insomnia. Drautos was right, and she hated it. Drautos stood up from his seat and approached Astra. He placed a hand on her shoulder, but it didn’t feel heavy.

“I know you had all the right reasons, but remember, Astra,” said Drautos. “Do not give people like that more attention than they deserve. Remember your purpose, and never forget who you are.”

The hand on her shoulder suddenly felt heavy, and Astra could feel it shake her. But Drautos wasn’t moving her. A voice called out her name; it was familiar. Then, Astra left the memory. She was back in the cell Creel had placed her in, sitting beside Ignis who had his hand on her shoulder. Ignis looked worried, and she noticed the cell door was open. The air felt cooler, and it comforted Astra’s mind, awakening fully from her vivid memories. The sun was near setting, and a part of her worried for Noctis.

“Are you alright?” asked Ignis.

Astra nodded, “Yeah, I was just lost in my thoughts. What’s happening?”

“Tea time,” answered Creel as he pulled Astra out the cell 

Creel placed her at a table in the center of the camp as if she were some form of entertainment his men watched them, laughing and whispering obscenities. Ignis watched over her from afar in the cell, silently. She didn’t know what exactly Creel wanted with her. Her best guess was just that he enjoyed watching her— the once great princess of Lucis— at his mercy. Creel placed a dirty and chipped teacup before her and filled it with murky water, or at least that’s what she thought it was. The liquid’s smell was strong and awful.

“Feel free to drink,” said Creel, accommodating himself in his chair.

She glanced at the teacup and raised her eyes back to meet his with no answer or change in expression. Her hands remained tied, and Creel knew that. He just wanted to see her reaction. But, she wouldn’t give him any of that. One of the men approached her and twirled her hair with his finger.

“You should at least say thank you. Don’t ya think, pretty?” asked the man.

The man caressed Astra’s cheek with his hand, and as thanks, Astra sent slight electricity through her entire body. Not enough to harm her, but enough to make the man’s hand stop touching her. He rubbed his fingers and raised his hand, preparing to hit Astra.

“Enough,” said Creel in an almost yell.

The man walked away with a grunt, visibly upset. Creel stood up from his seat and took the spot of where the man once stood. 

“I almost forgot about your hands.” Raising the teacup near Astra’s face, Creel spoke, “Here.”

Astra didn’t move even as the teacup lingered mere inches away from her face. Creel retreated the teacup towards him as he held it with both hands and paced around Astra.

“Princess Astra, the Silver Devil and Liberator of Glaives. So many titles. Which are you truly?” Creel laughed. “Anyone who hasn’t been living under a rock has heard the tales of your achievements and victories. It’s your brother who’s the real mystery. Say, why weren’t you made heir?

No reaction. Only silence came from Astra.

“No answer? Okay, well, do you wanna know why I wear this eye patch, Highness?”

Astra looked up to see his eye-patch. Creel removed the patch to reveal a horribly scarred eye. It appeared as if his eyelids had been seared shut.

“I got this the day you earned your title as Liberator,” finished Creel.

“And here I thought you were just really dedicated to the pirate aesthetic,” retorted Astra.

It slipped out. It really did. She thought it as she said it and only noticed what had happened after she finished talking. But, it’s not like she regretted it. Watching the sheer anger spread across his face to replace the snob expression he had was satisfying on its own. What wasn’t as satisfying was the sound of the shattering teacup Creel threw to the ground and the glass that bounced off the ground, some piercing through Astra’s skin. Creel’s tantrum wasn’t over there. He punched Astra across her face, sending her and her chair falling to the ground. He leered over her and pulled her head up by her hair.

“Do not test me, Princess,” said Creel with clenched teeth.

He tossed her head back to the ground and waved his hand. Two of his lackeys helped Astra up and back into the cell where Ignis was. Thankfully, they didn’t throw her onto the ground. Astra was truthfully fed up from being tossed around like a rag doll. She leaned onto the cell’s furthest barred wall where Ignis sat waiting for her. There were no more blades or guns pointed at her. Creel knew that wouldn't intimidate her. Instead, the guards around the cell constantly aimed their weapons towards Ignis. In other words, Ignis’ sole purpose there was to make sure Astra had no intentions of escaping on her own. Clearly, Creel had overheard the conversation where she regrettably revealed Ignis could not warp.

“Are you alright?” asked Ignis, looking at her bruised cheek.

“Is it just me, or have I been getting trashed around more than usual?” joked Astra.

“Astra,” whispered Ignis.

“I’m fine. Honest.” Astra wiggled her wrists, hoping that all her earlier movements may have served to loosen the rope, but it was to no avail. “Noctis went to Keycatrich Ruins, right? That’s not too far from here. I don’t know if I can put up with these animals any longer.”

“Are you in pain?”

“No, that’s not what I meant. I’m just…” Astra struggled to find the right word. Truthfully, she was feeling several things, but overall, she just felt, “Tired.”

“Right. You should be able to rest soon. Even with our absence, the coeurl shouldn’t pose much of a challenge to them. I assume they’re on their way back as we speak. If not already here—”

“Creel!” yelled out a voice.

“Speaking of the devil,” smiled Ignis.

Astra could see Noctis, Gladio, Prompto, and Axel appear from behind the bushes. They all looked fine, apart from some dirty clothes. Gladio and Prompto dragged a bag across the ground. They dropped it at the center of the camp before Creel, who appeared displeased. Maybe he was expecting them to die on the job. Noctis looked proud and pissed at the same time. He and Astra made eye contact, and she nodded, informing him of both her and Ignis’ well-being.

“What’s this?” asked Creel, as he kicked the bag.

“Your coeurl,” answered Noctis. “Thought you’d appreciate the extra parts.”

Astra chuckled. Turns out, Noctis did know how to do business. Kneeling down, Creel opened the bag and confirmed its content.

“Well, you’re not wrong,” replied Creel, standing back up.

“Now, keep your end of the deal,” demanded Noctis in a chilling tone.

“Very well. First, your car,” said Creel as he waved his hand to one of his pirates. “Bring them their car.”

“No. We’ll do that. Just point us in the right direction,” said Gladio.

Creel appeared confused, but how were they to explain that they were all rather possessive of the Regalia and didn’t let just anyone drive her? Gladio nudged Noctis, “You go. Park her outside. We’ll make sure we get Iggy and Astra.”

Noctis nodded and followed the pirate. Under almost any other circumstances, Noctis would have refused, but he knew that neither Gladio nor Prompto could be trusted behind the wheel. In other words, he was the only option. Another pirate opened the cell door, allowing Astra and Ignis to leave. They walked over to Gladio, and Creel personally cut their ties. 

“A deal’s a deal. Let’s go,” said Gladio.

Ignis joined Gladio, Prompto, and Axel who had already turned around, ready to leave. But Astra didn’t move from her position. It was Prompto who noticed her lingering and turned back to face her. 

“You have something of mine,” said Astra.

No one knew what she was talking about. Not Axel. Not Ignis. Not Gladio. Not even Prompto. But Astra’s chilling gaze didn’t look away from Creel, who clearly knew what she was talking about.

“Oh! The dagger, right?” sang Creel sarcastically.

Creel swayed his body towards another table, covered in what appeared to be stolen trinkets. He shoved certain things aside and pushed them onto the ground. The dagger was hidden underneath all their meaningless spoils, and it enraged Astra. Typically, she wouldn’t physically carry around weapons; it would just be dead weight. But Astra needed to always be able to feel the dagger physically. 

“It’s a kukri, right?” asked Creel with a smile as he placed the dagger into Astra’s hand. “Pretty sure this one comes with a twin blade, doesn’t it?”

He knew. He knew who the kukri once belonged to. He knew Nyx. And, he knew he was dead. He knew all this, but the smile across his face didn’t disappear. It seemed as if he relished the fact that Nyx was dead and that she felt the burden of carrying a part of him wherever she went. The look in Creel’s eyes was familiar. She’d seen that look in the greedy adults back in the Citadel. She’d seen that look in the children back in her school so many years ago. It was the same look the Glaive had back in the frontlines before she punched it out of him.

Creel wrapped Astra’s hand around the hilt of the kukri. His hand didn’t leave hers. It remained over hers, gripping onto her tightly. Her hands were always cold, but his touch burned. She couldn’t pull away even if she tried. Creel leaned forward into her ear. No one could hear what he whispered into Astra’s ear. Prompto, along with everyone else, could only see his lips move and freeze Astra into place. Even after Creel stepped back and stopped holding her hand, Astra remained frozen, staring into the ground with glazed eyes. Astra finally took a deep breath and sheathed the kukri into the holster she carried. 

Ignis, Gladio, and even Axel breathed a sigh of relief. They were afraid that Creel would start a fight. They were curious about what Creel whispered, but that could wait. The three turned around, continuing to exit the camp, but Prompto didn’t. He could feel something was amiss. Instead of taking a step toward her friends, Astra stepped towards Creel. Without saying a word and without giving any signs of warning, Astra launched her first across Creel’s face, and all hell broke loose.

Chapter Text

Creel was on the ground, clutching onto his face. Blood poured out of his nose, and cuts and bruises graciously decorated his face. His face had already begun to swell. Astra was held back by two of Creel’s men and away from their boss, but she didn’t despair. With an eerie calm, her eyes followed Creel as he moaned through his pain on the ground; it was obvious that he struggled to maintain his consciousness. The time between the first punch and the time she was apprehended by the pirates was short, but it was more than enough for her to beat Creel. But, she wasn’t done. After elbowing one of the men that held her in their face, Astra broke free and marched towards Creel. Every one of Creel’s entourage poured out from their corners and ran to stop Astra. Gladio, Ignis, and Prompto ran to her defense.

“Go get Noct!” Gladio yelled to Axel as he punched a pirate.

Axel nodded and ran to fulfill his mission. Astra didn’t summon any of her weapons. She used her bare hands to pummel through the pirates. Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto did the same; they had no intention of taking human life. But the pirates didn’t appear to share the sentiment. They pulled out their swords, knives, and daggers; they were, fortunately, smart enough to not use their guns. Fortunately, it appeared that only Creel had received any formal training. The rest of the pirates were sloppy and slow, but they made up for that in numbers. 

“I recommend you stay put,” said Astra in a quiet and chilling tone, as she approached Creel.

A pirate pulled her back into the fray and away from their boss. A new group of pirates surrounded her, blocking her off from Creel. The pirates lunged at her with their blades and fists, but she didn’t even need to warp-dodge their attacks. As the fight carried on, Astra looked past the pirates and spotted Creel walking towards guns, hanging on a rack that leaned on a tree. It seemed everyone but the pirates could see that Creel had the intention of shooting them all even if it meant losing some of his own.

The cry of pain that emanated from Creel made everyone turn to look. Mere inches away from the guns that hung on the rack, Crell’s hand was pierced into the tree behind by Nyx’s kukri. Prompto’s eyes ran away from him to look at Astra. Her hand extended forward, clearly indicating she was the one who threw the dagger. Her eyes remained glazed, but they hid something different within them this time: bloodlust. No one moved. The pirates were probably shocked Creel could be taken down so easily; it was obvious he earned his position by exerting his strength over others and ruling with fear. On the other hand, Prompto, Ignis, and Gladio didn’t move out of sheer shock. Astra didn’t turn to look at them; she feared what she might see.

It was the pirates who broke the silence and continued the fighting. However, this time, less pirates approached Astra. There were a handful who tried stopping her slow and steady approach towards Creel, but their attempts were futile. After finally closing the distance between Creel and herself, Astra pulled out the kukri from the tree and Creel’s hand. His blood dripped all over the ground and covered his hand in red. He fell to his knees, grasping tightly onto his hand in hopes of stopping the bleeding. Astra lowered herself into a squat and peered at Creel.

Still holding onto Nyx’s kukri, Astra took Creel’s hand into her own, “Allow me.”

Fire emanated from Astra’s hand and burned Creel. He groaned and let a small yell escape as Astra’s fire cauterized his wound. But, she didn’t just cauterize his wound; Astra let the fire linger. She didn’t waver and showed no signs of stopping until Creel ripped his hand away from her. In an attempt to get away from Astra, Creel dragged his body away from her with a push but was met with a tree behind him. There was nowhere to go. Astra didn’t look away from him. She leaned forward, making Creel flinch, but she only wiped the bloody away from Nyx’s kukri with Creel’s own clothes and then sheathed it away.

It was quiet. Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis had taken care of all the other pirates. The pirates were fighting a losing battle, if it could be called that. Steps approached the camp. Axel and Noctis appeared and were surprised to find the remaining chaos that erupted in their absence. Noctis almost missed Astra. She looked small, squatting next to Creel, and yet it was obvious she was the one with power between the two. Her crouched figure appeared relaxed, while Creel’s was tense. Her gaze proved to be too heavy for Creel to bear, and he looked away. But, Astra held him by the chin to face her, “Do not test me, Creel.”

“You are obsessed with power. It poisons you,” said Astra as she moved her hand from his chin to his hair and pulled his head back. “And it makes me sick to know that leeches like you sucked my father dry of life— that he died so that scum like you could live.”

Astra let go of Creel’s hair and let his head fall down by the weight of gravity. He didn’t dare look her in the eye. Astra’s rage was quiet yet obvious, and Noctis had never seen Astra like that. Noctis wanted to approach his sister, but something held him back. It wasn’t fear, but Noctis didn’t really know what. Instead, he watched over her from afar.

“As a child, I could understand things like compassion and mercy as a concept. But as a practice? I always struggled. I angered easily. Still do. And I know it worried my father, and it worried me too. So, I played the part. Became the perfect princess Lucis needed, but even I’m not sure that’s who I am. You asked me who I am?” Astra stood back up, straightened her back, and looked down to Creel. “I am Astra Lucis Caelum, daughter of Regis Lucis Caelum and Aulea Caelum, sister of Noctis Lucis Caelum, sister-in-arms of the Kingsglaive and Crownsguard, and this is my mercy.”

Astra extended her hand forward and summoned a sword made of light. It looked similar to how the Royal Arms appeared whenever Noctis summoned them. But this was different. The sword appeared identical to the one she always used. The hand hovered in the air before Astra took it into her hand. It felt weightless in her hand, but she handled it delicately with care. Creel attempted to stand up, but Astra placed her hand over his shoulder and pushed him back down onto his knees.

“The right to stand for this ceremony is for those with honor,” said Astra, calmly.

Creel remained kneeling, recognizing his lack of honor. Astra widened her stance and lowered her body. At her side, she raised her sword and positioned it, ready to strike and pierce a kneeling Creel. There was silence. Creel had no place to argue; he knew his pleas were meaningless and would fall onto deaf ears. Noctis watched as Astra readied herself and her sword began to glow. It was blinding, but he didn’t dare look away. None of them did. A part of Prompto was afraid, but his fear wasn’t directed towards Astra. He feared for her. 

The light from Astra’s sword intensified, and Noctis swore he could hear a sound, scaling to reach a climax. In a flash, Astra’s sword of light pierced Creel’s chest, and his head swung back from the impact. Astra met his eyes that looked past her and to the sky. The sun had set, and the crickets whispered to each other. The stars could be seen through the leafy branches of the trees, and the moon shined bright. Astra pulled her sword away from his body, but it had no blood. There was no wound on his chest. His chest fell and rose, and he panted for breath as if she had robbed it from him. The sword of light disappeared, and Astra’s calm demeanor remained.

“What— what did you do?” asked Creel, breathing heavily with surprise.

“Power poisoned you. So, I took it. Power made you savage and cruel— made you who you are,” spoke Astra. “And now without it, you are no one.”

Creel’s eyes widened. Mixtures of emotions flashed through his eyes. Astra could see fear, panic, anger, and countless more. But, Creel’s voice failed him even when he opened to speak. He let his body fall to the ground and held his face as he silently shook his head. Astra’s eyes slowly looked up from Creel and up to the night sky. From beneath the shading trees, she couldn’t find the moon even if its light shined down to grace her. Hesitantly, Astra looked to her brother. Her eyes were clear, and Noctis wasn’t sure if it was just the reflection of the moon in her eyes or if it was tears he saw. And for a split second, he swore her eyes glowed purple or a similar color.

“I’ll meet you at the nearest campsite,” said Astra, gently. “I need to be alone for now.”

The amount of times Noctis had watched Astra walk away from him in the past were too many, and now, Noctis had to watch it happen again. And with that, Astra allowed her figure to be engulfed by the shadowy bushes and trees. And the night had never felt this dark before.

Astra was already at the campsite by the time Noctis and friends arrived. She sat up on a boulder near the site, looking up to the moon. She noticed they had arrived but didn’t acknowledge their presence. Noctis didn’t know what to do. He knew Astra still needed time, but he hated seeing her like that. Ignis prepared supper whilst everyone else, including Noctis, made camp. 

Noctis saw Prompto approach Ignis and whisper something to him. Next thing he knew, Prompto took a wet cloth and bandages and climbed up the boulder Astra sat on. Sometimes Noctis was jealous of how easily Prompto approached Astra because gods know that it was not easy.  Maybe it was because Prompto was more social and outgoing. As children, Noctis and Astra were inseparable and communication between the two was sometimes even telepathical. But now, Noctis felt like there was something holding him back.

Prompto sat down beside Astra who still remained quietly looking at the stars. At this point, she was just looking up because looking down would make all the tears she’d been holding back fall out. And she didn’t know what face to make when she looked at Prompto or anyone for that matter. Astra could feel Prompto’s gaze on her. Astra finally looked at him when he gently took her hand and carefully took off her glove. Her knuckles were bruised and had some small cuts. Prompto ungloved her other hand to reveal the same bruising. He tenderly applied the wet cloth to her knuckles and tended her wounds. 

“You’re not gonna ask me any questions?” Astra finally managed to get out.

Prompto smiled gently, “I don’t have any.”

“Don’t lie. I hate lying. Especially from those I trust.”

Still attending to her hands and without making eye-contact, Prompto answered, “I am curious but not— what’s the word? Inquisitive.”

“...It’s the same thing.”

“Is it?” asked Prompto in a playful voice, finally looking up to meet her eyes.

His smile was crooked, and his eyes were radiant. Even the night sky could not take the blue of his eyes.

“You’re finally smiling,” pointed out Prompto.

Astra felt that the corners of her mouth had indeed upturned without her realizing. The sudden realization made her face flush. A part of her hated it— made her feel like she was ignoring the havoc and damage she wrecked earlier. The other part of her liked it— liked him . Too many emotions hit her at the same time. Astra didn’t know what half of them were. The other half she was already awfully familiar with. Astra suddenly felt a cold sensation on her cheek thankfully snap her out of her thoughts.

“Ooh! Sorry! Should’ve warned you before,” said Prompto as he held the wet cloth on her bruised cheek. “Since it’s cold.”

Even with the cold compress on her cheek, Astra could feel Prompto’s warm fingertips grazing her cheek. She slightly leaned into his hand, surprising Prompto who didn’t pull away. But Astra could feel his fingertips beginning to grow cold, and so she took the cloth from his hand and remained applying it to her cheek. Prompto drew his hand away and rested it on his lap. Neither spoke even though there were countless words they wanted to say to each other.

Finally, Prompto spoke, “Uh, well, Iggy’s making dinner. We should probably head down.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” replied Astra.

Prompto stood up and so did Astra. Prompto slid down the boulder and offered a hand to help Astra down. 

“Prompto,” said Astra, taking his hand. “Thank you.”

Holding her hand tightly, Prompto smiled, “ That’s what friends are for, right?”

Astra slid down the boulder with Prompto’s aid and joined the rest of the group at the campsite. Everyone was already in their seats except Axel who opted to sit on the ground. Probably because he wanted to leave a seat for Astra. They already had their dinner plate in hand, and Astra received her own after Prompto. Astra sat between Noctis and Ignis. Everyone conversed normally, but Astra noticed the occasional curious glances they stole of her. 

 “What exactly did you do to Creel back there?” managed to ask Noctis.

Still sitting down in his seat, Gladio punched Noctis’ arm and muttered with gritted teeth, “Real smooth.”

Noctis blinked blankly, “Sorry.”

“It’s fine. I get it,” answered Astra. “It’s a...forbidden ritual of sorts.”

“Forbidden?” asked Ignis.

“Well, not forbidden. Just obscure and ancient,” explained Astra. “Kings of Lucis have been sharing their powers with their trusted for centuries. Naturally, some were traitors and so a past king devised a way to take the power back.”

“Don’t we just cut the connection?” verified Noctis.

“ Now we do. But that method wasn’t invented until later to replace the one I used. It was deemed too torturous for the trusted who simply wished to no longer hold such a power.”

“What do you mean by torturous ?” asked Gladio.

“There are some lasting complications that follow— mental and physical. Magic is deeply connected with one’s being and emotions. I didn’t sever his tie to just magic.” Astra played with the food on her plate. “It was more.”

The crickets filled the silence.

“I...I’m sorry. About today. But I’m not sorry for what I did. I’m just sorry you had to see that. It’s just been a while since I last snapped like that,” apologized Astra. “I thought I had it under control.”

Noctis spoke first, “You don’t have to be sorry for that.”

“Right. We’ve seen what you’re like when you’re menstruating,” added Gladio.

Mixture of unbelief and disgust adorned everyone’s faces, except Gladio. They all looked at Gladio who only shrugged apologetically, “What? I’m not wrong, and you all know it.”

“Maybe discussing the princess’ menstruation is not the most proper thing to do at the moment,” said Ignis, glancing at Axel who looked the most uncomfortable, and only then Gladio nodded in understanding.

“I would not expect such a remark from the one guy here with a younger sister,” retorted Astra.

Gladio answered, “It’s ‘cause I have a sister that I know what I’m talking about—”

“Well, I think it’s best we rest now,” interrupted Ignis, standing up from his chair.

“I second that,” added Prompto, jumping out of his seat to help Ignis.

The night was cool, and the crickets whispered to each other while everyone readied themselves for bed. They decided to sleep underneath the stars near the fire. Small conversations were whispered throughout as sleep slowly took their consciousness. Astra didn’t have any nightmares that night. The last thing she remembered was a familiar warmth holding her hand.

Chapter Text

Cindy was already waiting for them when they got back. Axel volunteered to follow the Regalia with his chocobo since they wouldn’t all fit in the car. Cindy must’ve been able to notice that something happened to them in the single day they were gone; she immediately approached Astra and wrapped her arm around her shoulders. Cindy was shorter and smaller than Astra, but Astra could feel the firm grip and strength in the arm that enveloped her warmly.  Astra wanted to speak— tell Cindy everything that had happened and how the thugs from before wouldn’t pose any problem anymore, but no words came out.

“Let’s get you cleaned up, alright,” said Cindy in a gentle voice.

Cindy didn’t need to guide Astra to her room; Astra already knew how to get there from her last visit. Cindy led Astra into her room and left her as she readied her a bath. Astra sat on her bed and looked over the clothes she had in her bag. She took out a clean set of clothes and walked into the bathroom.

“Let me find you a towel,” said Cindy as she left the bathroom and room altogether.

Astra began to undress. Her body felt sore. The adrenaline from before had vanished and left aching pain behind. She carefully set her dirty clothes aside, folded. The steam from the bath Cindy had drawn fogged the mirror, and Astra wiped it to see her reflection. Through the mirror, she could see the fresh set of bruises her body had received; they were already healing and fading away. Ignis must have snuck in a health potion into her meal, and the thought of his kindness made her smile. 

Astra observed her body in the mirror as if it weren’t hers and had never been seen before. Her body wasn’t decorated with scars. She was fortunate to not have many, but the ones she did were anything but decorative. They were real and often weighed heavy. Astra felt the scar on the side of her neck, and her attention fell to her ungloved hands. She thought back to the time she was in school and a child pointed out how scarred and callused her hands were; ever since then, Astra made sure to wear gloves. Now older and wiser, she felt that it was pathetic reasoning, but still, she could not find herself willing to part with her gloves.

After having looked enough, Astra entered the tub and submerged her body into the water. The warmth of it was comforting and relaxing— just what she needed. Just then, Cindy walked back into the bathroom with a clean towel.

“Here. This should do nicely. Nice and warm from the dryer,” said Cindy as she placed the towel near Astra.

Astra’s body turned towards Cindy without exiting the bath, “Thank you.”

“I’ll wash this for you too,” said Cindy, holding Astra’s dirty clothes.

Cindy lingered in the bathroom, and her eyes looked at Astra’s body, submerged in water. Even between the bubbles and stained water, Cindy could make out the bruises and scars on Astra’s body. 

“Are you checking me out?” joked Astra to ease the tension.

Cindy laughed, “You’re not my type, sugarface.”

“Please, I’m everybody’s type.”

Cindy bit her lip, still smiling. Astra could tell that the image of her bruised body still hung around in Cindy’s mind. 

“I’ll let you finish up,” said Cindy as she left and closed the bathroom door behind her.

Astra rested her back on the tub’s wall. She let her arms comfortably hang from both sides of the tub. Everything was silent, and the only thing she could hear was her own breathing and the dripping faucet. Drip, drop . Astra’s knuckles felt like they were burning, but the blood and bruising from yesterday was already gone. Drip, drop. She swore she could see dried blood in the small wrinkles and crevices of her hands and rubbed them harshly, hoping to wash the blood away. But her knuckles only got redder. Drip, drop . The red wouldn’t go away no matter how hard she rubbed. She thought back to the first time her knuckles bled. She was young, maybe 13, and Regis had tended to her wounds then. Drip, drop. She shouldn’t have remembered that— remembered him. Because now, she remembered them all. Nyx, Luna, Libertus, even Axel— the faces that flashed through her mind were countless and some even nameless. The red wouldn’t go away. Drip, drop. She heard them— their voices, their laughs, their cries. They called her name again and again. They grew louder and louder. More desperate with every cry. Drip, drop.

Astra submerged her entire body into the water, keeping her head under by balancing herself with her hands. She drowned out the voices and the thoughts that haunted her. The light from the bathroom irritated her eyes, and she shut her eyes closed.  Slowly, as the voice faded so did the faces of those she remembered in her mind. Eventually, there was peace and quiet. There was darkness and only the breathing sound of the water in her ears.

A sudden flash of warmth spread from Astra’s fingertips to the center of her chest. It felt like a sudden shock that woke her up and summoned her back into the world of the living— the world of the present. A single image appeared in her mind; it was an unfamiliar face with foreign features. It was a woman with ebony skin and freckles that twinkled like stars. Her hair was white, and her eyes looked like every shade of purple and blue all at once. She wore odd and majestic clothing that complimented the ornaments she wore. She looked heavenly and inhumanly beautiful— like a star.

Astra pushed her head out from underneath the water with her feet. She pushed her hair out of her face and wiped the dripping water away from her eyes. Her heart beat with a newfound strength and almost unfamiliar rhythm, but no. That was her heart. It was her life. Astra turned to the faucet; it was no longer dripping. Maybe it never was. Something new had happened. Something changed within Astra. She couldn’t yet tell whether it was bad or good, but she had a name that accompanied it.

Etro.

“It was an honor to meet you, Your Highnesses,” said Axel as he bowed to Noctis and Astra.

It was time to head back to Lestallum and meet Ardyn. They had already kept him waiting longer than expected and wouldn’t be surprised if he had decided to move on to other things. Chances were that answering the request of 20-something year olds was his priority. After bathing, Astra changed into clean clothes and had a warm meal with the rest of the boys in the diner. Cindy delivered to Astra her newly washed clothes before she packed her bag back into the Regalia’s trunk.

“Pleasure was ours,” replied Noctis. 

“Stay safe, alright?” Cindy hugged Astra who had been leaning on the Regalia goodbye with a deep sigh. She turned to Prompto who stood beside the two. “Take care of her.”

“She’s in safe hands,” answered Prompto as he closed the distance between Astra and him, leaning on the Regalia.

“The thugs from before shouldn’t be a problem anymore, but keep an eye open just in case,” Astra told Cindy.

“I’ll pass by every now and then to make sure things are safe,” said Axel.

“I’d really appreciate that. Thank you,” smiled Astra. “I hope to see you again.”

They all entered the Regalia. Astra pushed aside Gladio’s and Noctis’ legs as she made herself comfortable. Ignis finished his drink of Ebony before tossing the bottle out and sitting in the driver’s seat. From his own seat, Prompto snapped one last shot of Hammerhead. The team bid their goodbyes to both Axel and Cindy and went on their way. No one talked about what happened with Creel. In a way, there was nothing left to be said. There were no apologies or regrets. 

By the time Astra had woken up from her accidental nap, they were already back in Lestallum. It was the sound of a camera clicking that woke her. Wiping her mouth, Astra’s glaring eyes fell onto Prompto. He raised his hands, showing that they were empty, and instead pointed to Noctis. Astra turned and saw her brother holding the camera with a boyish smile. Astra reached for the camera, but Noctis recklessly tossed the camera back to Prompto. Out of instinct, Prompto hid the camera away from her.

“You better delete that,” threatened Astra. 

Prompto smiled while biting his lip, “Of course. Just later.” He lied, and Astra knew it.

“It’s best not to keep our good Samaritan waiting,” said Ignis, as he exited the parked car.

They went back to the outlook, and sure enough, Ardyn was there, waiting for them. It was almost as if he sensed them before he saw them and turned around with a smile that made them all uncomfortable. He walked towards them and bowed eloquently.

“I assume we are all ready?” asked Ardyn, looking directly at Astra.

“We are,” responded Noctis.

“Very well. You take your car, and I’ll take mine,” said Ardyn as he pushed past the group. “You’ll have to follow me. Make sure not to fall behind.”

“There’s seriously something up with that guy,” whispered Prompto.

They followed Ardyn to his car which was conveniently parked near theirs. Ignis started the car, and they all begrudgingly followed Ardyn in his. Prompto was in charge of the music, and he snapped several photos as they were on the road. They’d already spent half the day getting to Lestallum, and now the sun was beginning to set. Astra worried what that might mean for them, and she doubted that there was lodging at the Disc. Then, the oddest of things happened. Ardyn pulled into a rest spot; naturally, Ignis followed him into the parking lot.

“What’s all this about?” asked Noctis as he exited the car.

“The sun’s begun to set. And I’ve always been one who’d rather be safe than sorry,” said Ardyn. “So, how about staying in the caravan over yonder? No need to worry. I’ll foot the bill.”

“And make camp with you?” asked Astra with clear disgust.

“Ah, you’re right. I see why you’d be hesitant,” noticed Ardyn. “But, I swear, I am a gentleman and a man of my word. I wouldn’t dare disrespect a princess. Besides, you’d have four bodyguards to ensure my best behavior.”

Noctis turned to Astra and whispered, “We could just set up the tent, and trust me , I have no problem with that.” He glared at Ardyn. “It’s your call.”

Astra looked at the outpost’s sign. She couldn’t recognize the name or her surroundings. She didn’t even know where to make camp, and it couldn’t just be any patch of dirt with the amount of increasing daemons lurking about. She pinched the bridge of her nose and sighed. “Let’s just stay in the caravan,” said Astra, surprising everyone.

“You sure you’re okay with that?” asked Gladio, clearly in big-brother mode.

“Yeah. I mean, worse comes to worst, I have you guys,” answered Astra with a proud smile.

The corner of Gladio’s lips twitched, and he aggressively sniffed to hide his smile, “Well, you’re not wrong.”

“You just like the fact that she’s finally relying on you,” pointed out Ignis.

Astra confidently marched into the caravan in an attempt to show how “okay” she was with the whole situation. The boys followed closely behind, leaving Ardyn in the dust. The caravan looked just like any other. Astra sat down, making herself comfortable, but it didn’t matter in the end. Ardyn walked in with his usual flamboyant confidence and sat across from her. The uneasiness she felt showed no signs of leaving, and that’s how she knew it’d be a long night for all of them.

Stuffing five barely adults into a caravan with another adult that they don’t like was a bad idea. Astra didn’t think anyone slept comfortably that night. She, for one, didn’t sleep at all. Not really. After a light breakfast and getting back in the car, everyone was yawning. Ardyn, also now in his own car, appeared rejuvenated unlike the rest of them. 

After a few meaningless quips and sarcastic one-sided banter from Ardyn, the entire group was on their way to Cauthess. Gladio and Ignis did most of the talking on the ride. They talked back and forth about some of the history of Cauthess and about humanity’s ingenuity on using the meteor to power Lestallum. Noctis inquired about Prompto’s camera and wondered if it’d survive the intense heat emitting from the meteor; Prompto wasn’t too sure about its durability but admitted there was no way he could leave it behind, missing the chance to take the shot of the century. Prompto then wondered about Ignis’ glasses and learned that Ignis didn’t actually need them and just wanted clear vision. Ignis had once told Astra that he would rather go blind if his vision wasn’t clear; that was when she learned how much of a drama queen Ignis truly was.

The whole ride Astra didn’t speak. The closer they got to the Disc of Cauthess, the weirder she felt. There was a distant pounding within her. It was different from the headache she had received from Titan. It felt like there was something within her trying to reach out and be set free— or better said, escape. However, it didn’t feel disturbing and overpowering. It felt like it was trying to fill an empty Astra never knew she had— like it was returning something to her she never knew she lost.

“You alright?” whispered Noctis as he nudged her leg with his to catch his attention.

Astra looked at her brother. The wind whipped his hair back and forth, somehow managing to avoid pricking his eyes. His brows were furrowed into a look of worry. The two siblings had gotten closer, and Astra wanted to tell her about what she had seen back in Hammerhead in her haze. She wanted to ask him how he knew the name Etro before she ever did, but old habits die hard. 

“I’m good. Just tired,” she didn’t lie.

“Well, it’s time to wake up for good,” said Gladio. She didn’t need to look to notice they had finally arrived at their destination. Although she hadn’t noticed when they arrived, Astra could instantly feel the intense heat from the meteor. “We’re here.”

The Regalia was aligned next to Ardyn’s car. Before them, the doors that once prohibited them from entering the Disc of Cauthess now opened themselves with ease. Ardyn donned a grin; Astra hated his smile. It was obvious there was something more sinister behind it. She had no proof he was bad news, but not a single part of her could relax as long as he was near. She wanted to punch the smirk off his face and tear him apart, and she didn’t even know why.

“Your audience with divinity lies ahead,” said Ardyn from his car.

“You’re not coming with?” asked Prompto.

“I just came to drop you off and open the doors. And with that, I bid you farewell.” Ardyn’s eyes looked directly into Astra’s. “It was a pleasure to escort you. I hope we meet again soon.”

“I don’t.” Astra didn’t hesitate. “Let’s go, Ignis.”

The ever-so-faithful Ignis complied and hit the pedal, leaving Ardyn behind. Astra told herself not to turn around and look, but curiosity got the best of her. When she turned around, Ardyn was still staring at them— at her, but there was no smile. His eyes were dull, and Astra could sense something dark from within him. There was no way he couldn’t tell she was watching him. If she could see him, he could see her. But, he didn’t look away and neither did Astra. In the end, it was the closing of the doors that let the Regalia in that cut their eye-contact.

“I’ve met some weirdos, but…” started Gladio.

“I hope we never meet that one again,” finished Ignis.

“Woah! A little harsh, no?” asked Prompto.

“Honestly,” said Astra as she looked ahead to the dusty road that led directly to the heart of the Disc. “It took everything for me not to beat him up.”

“If you were that uncomfortable, we could’ve just camped instead of sticking with him,” brought up Noctis.

“I wanted to but… Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer, right?”

The car stopped once there was no more road for the Regalia to travel on. Astra observed the odd positioning of worn pillars set beside a beat down path that led who knows where. They all exited the parked car and stared down the beat path.

“So we go on foot,” said Prompto.

“Not like we can fit the Regalia in here,” countered Gladio.

“I mean, Gladio can barely fit here,” exaggerated Astra.

They all shared a small laugh as Gladio nudged Astra as a form of retaliation. However, Gladio often underestimates his own strength and the power of his nudging. His nudge unbalanced Astra and almost made her trip over the rocks on the man made path towards the heart of the Disc. Astra had already caught herself and regained her balance, but she felt a hand help her steady herself and stand upright. She knew whose hand it belonged to without even looking.

“Thanks,” she said to Prompto.

Still chuckling from earlier, Prompto answered, “No problem.”

Turns out the path they followed wasn’t entirely man-made. Leftovers from what appeared to be ancient architecture. The dusty, worn, white porcelain pillars and brick walls decorated the path and led them straight to a royal tomb of an Old King. Unlike other tombs, this tomb had no roof or surrounding walls or pillars. It stood right in front of the meteor, allowing the group a clear line of sight. That was probably the reason why the entire tomb was so worn. 

“Well, that’s convenient,” observed Astra. “Shouldn’t hurt to grab it and go.”

Like a good little brother, Noctis listened to his older sister. At least, that’s what Astra liked to think. Upon closer look of the altar the tomb lay upon, they could see just how worn it was. To begin with, the tomb was partly submerged into the rocky ground. There were cracks aligned where it submerged and extended across the floor. Astra slightly peered over the short remaining of the worn porcelain wall, noticing that the ground the tomb rested upon was in reality at the very edge of a cliff whose only support came from what appeared to be a slowly breaking rocky cliff. As Astra peered over the cliff, she saw a flash of light from the corner of her eye.

Looking back at Noctis who stood near the tomb, Astra asked, “Done already?”

The ground began to shake without warning. Everyone’s balance was ripped from them. Wobbling and stumbling, Astra attempted to make her way back to the group. She could hear murmuring and whispers coming from the meteor or better said, the Titan that rested underneath. Maybe it was because her human brain couldn’t comprehend or withstand the divine interaction, but her head kept ringing. It wasn’t just her. She could see Noctis grip his head in pain and tried approaching him. Fate had other plans. The ground began to shake even more violently, and Astra could feel the ground beneath her begin to give way.

“Get away! Quickly!” yelled Ignis to Noctis.

But it was too late. The violent earthquake brought Astra to her knees. The ground beneath Noctis began to break away as he struggled to claw onto the ground for balance. Within a blink of an eye, Noctis was gone. He’d fallen down with the rest of the ground, and Astra felt her heart freeze. The ground wouldn’t stop breaking away, and in her moment of shock, she watched helplessly as Gladio also fell, leaving behind only a cloud of dust as the earthquake settled. The dust cleared, and the ground grew still. Astra was still on her knees. Her once frozen heart pounded erratically within her as she gasped for breath. 

“Astra!” called out Prompto to Astra as he kneeled next to Astra. “It’s okay! Noctis and Gladio are okay!”

She looked at him, finally feeling herself calm down. He was right. In her moment of worry, Astra had forgotten she had blessed Noctis, and her blessing hadn’t returned to her. Peeking down the broken cliff alongside Prompto and Ignis, they could see the distant figures of Gladio and Noctis standing safely on a smaller cliff underneath. She breathed a short-lived sigh of relief. From within the ground, Astra could feel distant rumbling and watched as the scenery before her eyes shifted. The meteor slowly rose, and a monstrous head came into view. The skin appeared rock solid, and there appeared to be crystal and stone-like pieces protruding his skin, covering one of his eyes. The other eye glowed a yellow and intimidating color that sent shivers down her spine as if the Titan’s incredible size wasn’t intimidating enough. The Titan began to speak, and the ringing reappeared back in Astra’s head.

“...Chosen King…arrived…as prophesied…” muttered Titan inside her head.

“Noct! You alright?” yelled out Prompto to Noctis.

Astra shook the ringing in her head away and yelled, “I’m going down!”

“Easy,” said Ignis, holding Astra back from jumping. “We’re not even sure just how much more weight the ground they’re on can take.” Ignis let go of Astra, trusting she no longer wished to jump down to Gladio and Noctis. He approached the edge of the cliff, slightly leaning over to look at the two down below. “Thank heavens you're safe! Is there a way to come back up?” asked Ignis.

“No, but there’s a path. We’re gonna see where it leads,” answered Noctis.

Gladio cupped his hands around his mouth, “You guys try to get down!”

“Very well. We’ll look for a way,” yelled Ignis.

Noctis and Gladio began to walk away. Astra felt uncomfortable letting him go alone with Gladio. It’s not that she didn’t trust their skills, but they were dealing with an Astral. Splitting up was anything but a good idea, but that was the only thing they could do. Astra set aside her overprotective feelings and called out to her little brother one last time, “Noctis!”

He turned and looked up at his sister. Although he couldn’t see her face, he could sense the worry that haunted her. “What’s up?” he answered nonchalantly.

She coughed the worry away from her voice, “Be careful.”

Noctis thought about what sarcastic and comedic comment he could respond with. On the spot, he came up with a few, but something told him to drop his bravado and answer truthfully to his thoughts and feelings. They were about to seek an audience with a god. No one knew what could happen. Not even Astra. And Noctis knew that was the reason she was so worried. But she had to stop holding his hand and stop guiding him through the dark and through hard times at the expense of herself. She had to trust him— trust that they’d meet again, safe and sound. And Noctis had to trust her the same way. In the end, he couldn’t bring himself to answer Astra and instead offered her a simple nod. With Gladio following close behind, Noctis walked away, still feeling Astra’s worried gaze follow him as far as she could.

Chapter Text

I'm so happy to be able to finally share this! I recently commissioned @kiminie71 on Instagram to draw Astra! I'm so happy with the results. It was my first time commissioning an artist, and they were so kind and understanding. I even found the price of the commission to be inexpensive for the quality given. I definitely recommend you guys to check them out and maybe even commission them once they open shop again. And without further ado, Astra Lucis Caelum!

Watcha think?

Chapter Text

Prompto, Ignis, and Astra had been walking for a while. There was an abandoned road that led further down the meteor, and they followed it although it was obviously abandoned for proper reasons. The path was small and thin, even for Astra. It could be better described as a comfortable ledge than a proper path. Nonetheless, the three persevered. The further down they went, the hotter the air around them felt. Astra hated the intense heat. It made her body feel sticky and the air around her constricting. Little by little, step by step, the three worked their way down. However, the treacherous path they walked was not their only obstacle. It appeared that both gods and monsters scorned the group and their purpose. Monsters who had made a home out of the once still meteor now crawled out their dwellings to hinder them. Fortunately, the monsters only crawled out when they had found open space. It was hot enough just walking, now they were all sweating as they fought for their lives.

“Are those…imperials?” asked Prompto, looking up to the sky.

Astra looked up. He was right. The familiar empire engines flew over them in formation. From where they stood, Astra couldn’t figure out where the empire would land, meaning they’d have to be even more vigilant for when they’d bump into them. Because Astra knew that avoiding the empire wasn’t an option. She opened her mouth to speak, but only a grunt of pain left her lips. The ground trembled, and she knew that soon there’d be an echoing voice inside her head. Gripping onto her head, Astra tried balancing herself as she winced in pain. She didn’t want to make a noise— distract the other two from their goal. She wanted to stand straight and keep walking, but the voice inside her head froze her into place. 

“Etro’s chosen…fallen star…” whispered Titan’s inhuman voice inside her head. “To defy fate…you must embrace it…”

“You’re getting the headaches again?” asked Prompto as he observed Astra’s face. It was obvious he was consciously holding back his hand from touching her. He didn’t want Astra to think he was babying her when they were on the field.

Astra stood straight and patted Prompto’s shoulder, partly to reassure him and partly to regain her balance. The voice in her head faded away and took the headache with it, but the shaking ground only grew more violent. For a moment, she thought her eyes were playing tricks on her, but both Ignis and Prompto turned to look at the Meteor, alerting Astra that her eyes weren’t lying. Titan freed a single hand from beneath the Meteor it held and reached out to grasp at the rocks beneath them. Astra and Prompto helped each other stay standing as the rumbling attempted to knock them down. A faint voice could be heard from below. As Titan’s hand retreated back to his side, Astra left Prompto and peered over the edge. She couldn’t see his face but could recognize the voice.

“It’s Noctis,” said Astra.

Ignis joined her, “Why would Titan attack him?”

Astra watched as Titan’s hand reached back towards the direction Noctis’ voice came from. Her first thought was to cut off Titan’s hand, but she doubted she could do that with enough control to survive and keep everyone safe. Even if his actions were directed towards Noctis, Titan’s single eye watched Astra. “I don’t know.” Astra answered Ignis’ question. “But that’s not what matters now. Ignis, any signal?”

After checking his phone, Ignis shook his head, “No bars.”

“Call Noctis the moment you get a single bar. Let him know about the empire.”

“I think I found the way down,” yelled Prompto, looking down the side of a flat, steep hill. “It’s gonna be a drop though.”

Astra examined the way down, “Like a slide.”

“With a likely death if we fail to stop before sliding off the hill entirely,” added Ignis now at her side. He smiled at Astra with closed eyes, “Ladies first.”

“What a gentleman,” scoffed Astra.

Without hesitation or regret, Astra let her body slide down. This hill was definitely a shortcut but a dangerous one. There was no real space to slow down and arrive safely to a stop. If Astra just let herself be, she would slide off the hill to her death at Titan’s feet. She summoned her sword into her hand and jabbed it into the ground. She turned her knees toward the hill and pushed her feet at angle to create friction as an additional attempt to slow her down. Even with gloves, her fingers burned as they grasped the rocky hill. Looking up, Astra saw Ignis do the same as her with his daggers. Prompto attempted to imitate their movements with his gun, but it wasn’t enough. He wasn’t slowing down and could only close his eyes, and Prompto could already imagine Gladio’s reaction to his idiotic and unfortunate death. But an arm wrapped around his waist and gripped onto him tightly as if he were sand that would slip past. He opened his eyes and saw Astra tighten her grip around her sword; pebbles and dust were picked off by the sword as it slid further down with the added weight of Prompto, but Astra planted the sword even further into the rock, solidifying her grip.

Prompto wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they finally came to a halt. He laughed away any remaining fear that lingered within him, “My hero.”

Astra let go of Prompto’s waist and stood up now that they had finally stopped moving, dislodging her sword from the ground. Prompto’s arm slid off her shoulders and so did his sense of balance and security. The ground wasn’t flat, and Prompto still felt his heart beating in his feet. Astra helped him up and walk across to proper solid ground where Ignis was already waiting. Pushing strands of hair out her face and into a ponytail, Astra didn’t even look at Prompto, “Don’t scare me like that again.”

“I’ve just informed Noctis and Gladio about the empire’s involvement,” said Ignis. “I was cut off, but I’m sure he received the message.”

“Good. ‘Cause judging by where Titan’s current attention is,” said Astra as they saw Titan reach towards a different yet close location. “We’re close to the finish line.”

The rumbling and shaking caused by the Titan soon returned and persisted without remorse. Faint whispers and murmurings echoed throughout Astra’s head, but she couldn’t make out any real sense. She couldn’t spend any real attention trying to decode Titan’s whispers; she had to get to Noctis as soon as possible. Ignis, Prompto, and Astra could see Titan’s attempts in attacking Noctis and Gladio. It was odd. It felt like the Astral was attempting to reveal something to them or test them, but attacking the two siblings physically and mentally was not the way to go.

Apart from the persistent heat that clung to their body, Astra and the other two were pestered by fighting the MT’s that the empire had sent to the Disc of Cauthess. She wondered if Ardyn had sent them after immediately allowing them to get past the blockade; something told her it wasn’t beneath him. However, despite being rather bleak and soulless mechanoid creatures, the MT’s appear surprised at the sight of Astra and her companions, meaning they were there for another reason. There could only be one reason: Titan. Astra knew, like any other person who didn’t live underneath a rock, that Nifleheim had killed an Astral, the Glacian Shiva. It’s said that her remains can still be seen on Gralea, land now cursed to suffer an eternal winter storm. There was no concrete proof that the Empire’s claims were true, but Astra knew better than to underestimate them. She’d made that mistake once before, and she would never do that again.

“How many more of these guys do we have to deal with before getting to Noct and Gladio?” groaned Prompto, delivering a fatal shot to an MT.

Astra looked at Titan to guide her, but her eyes widened at the spectacle that began unfolding before. The ground began to shake even more violently as Titan lifted his arm and swung towards a spot not too far from them. Every movement from the Astral made the entire ground shake violently and rubble flew every which way, not distinguishing between human, machine, and monster. The few MTs that were still standing were knocked to the ground, losing their sense of balance as Astra and the other two struggled to remain standing. Titan was no longer speaking. Astra thought maybe they had enraged the ancient god somehow, but his distant and almost pained gaze told her otherwise.

But truth be told, his reasons didn’t matter. Finding answers to her questions could wait. A god was attacking her little brother, and she wasn’t about to stand idly by. It seemed that both Ignis and Prompto knew that too. Astra heard the mechanical footsteps of an MT approaching her; even in the middle of an attack from Titan, the MTs were still unbearably dedicated to killing them. Before the MT could get close to Astra, Prompto shot it down as both he and Ignis stood between her and the approaching MTs.

“Go to him,” said Ignis. “We’ll take care of them and follow after.”

They were big boys and could take care of themselves. Astra knew that and simply nodded before, leaving them to rush to Noctis’ side. The closer she got to the main battle zone, the louder the grunts from both Titan and Noctis became. She warped from place to place, attempting to dodge the rumble created from Titan’s attacks whilst also using it to her advantage to get closer to them. Then she saw it. Noctis stood alone, fighting against the great Titan. He did not tremble or falter in any of his attacks. Astra could see the confidence in his stride and the way he held his sword. Noctis was her little brother, but she wasn’t sure he was so “little” anymore. 

With a clenched fist, Titan aimed his next attack at Noctis. Noctis wasn’t going to sit around and take it. He tightened his grasp around his sword and warped himself towards Titan’s approaching fist. There was no way that simple move would stop Titan, but it did help Noctis not get absolutely pulverized. The impact from the hit sent Noctis flying back to the ground. His breathe was knocked right out of his chest. He groaned from the impact; the pain on his back made it feel like it was on fire. He could see Titan’s fist approaching to finish what he started. Noctis knew he had to get up, but the pain made it almost impossible. Kneeling on the ground, he willed his sword back into his hand and attempted to will mobility back into his body. In that moment, he lamented having never learnt how to conjure a shield; it would have made the entire battle all that much easier. Barely able to stand up with his own two feet, Noctis readied his sword to parry Titan’s attack. Suddenly, a streak of light appeared in the corner of Noctis’ eyes. It was small and appeared even small in comparison to Titan, but upon contact with the Titan’s fist, the light erupted into a large flash, blinding the Titan and pushing his fist away from Noctis.

Noctis felt a familiar hand grasp his shoulder and turn his body towards them. It was Astra. Her chest fell and rose erratically; drops of sweat dripped down her face. Even with her hair in a ponytail, loose hairs clung to her face as she held her bow with her free hand. Noctis was expecting a lecture. It would be a natural reaction since he was fighting a god. Or maybe she would say something cool and heroic like ‘Leave it to me.’ But instead, Astra simply smiled and said, “You did good.”

Something warm bubbled inside Noctis’ chest. The corner of his lips twitched into a smile. He couldn't deny it. Being recognized by his sister made him happy. It was something he had always wanted. Ever since he was younger, he had wanted Astra to know that he was more than just her little brother— that he was strong enough to stand at her side and fight alongside her— that he could help her and even protect her. Had they not been fighting a god they might have been able to sit down and talk about it, but they were, as a matter of fact, busy fighting a god.

“You look like crap,” joked Noctis.

Astra scoffed, exchanging her bow for her sword, “You look worse.”

Unintelligible sounds came out of Titan. Some words echoed in Astra’s head, but it was always the same ones. Nothing made sense. Titan shook his hand, maybe out of pain; there were scorch marks on the place Astra’s arrow hit Titan’s fist. She loved using her bow. It was surprisingly her heavy weapon thanks to the fact her arrows were so destructive due to them being made out of her magic. But it was hard to concentrate her magic into such a fine and precise thing, and so, her bow was really more of a one-shot kind of thing in the middle of battle. Having shaken off the pain and lingering magic off his fist, Titan attacked the two siblings who warped as a dodge.

“How’d you piss him off!?” yelled Astra, avoiding Titan’s attack.

“I didn’t do anything. He just started attacking!” yelled back Noctis, doing the same.

Titan was relentless. He didn’t care how many times he missed hitting both Noctis and Astra. Maybe his persistent patience came from having to carry a meteor for lifetimes on end without moving. Who knew that such a thing would come to bite them in the butt. Dodge after dodge, parry after parry. The pattern continued. She was about to dodge once again when she missed her footing. Astra knew that Titan would hit her this time. She could probably take a hit or two, but it wasn’t something she wanted to experience. She braced for impact when she suddenly felt someone grasp her arm.

“Did you miss us?” asked Prompto with a smile, pulling Astra out of harm’s way.

Ignis was at Prompto’s side, daggers in hand, “Apologies for the wait.”

“What took you so long?” asked Noctis. “Did you take the scenic route?”

“I’d say that for Gladio,” said Astra. “Where is he?”

“He should be coming around… soon.”

Prompto tapped Astra’s shoulder, “Think those imperial soldier’s wanna say ‘hi’?”

Astra glanced at the small hill overlooking the current battle zone. MTs appeared, carrying what appeared to be like mechanical lances that glowed red. Astra knew them to be imperial spearmen, typically used to tie things down. She’d seen them used before to subdue daemons so that the empire could take them back home for experimentation. There were no lines Nifleheim wouldn’t cross.

“Watch out!” yelled Ignis.

Everyone’s attention went back to Titan. His fist was heading straight towards the four of them. Noctis and Astra could warp away to dodge the hit, but Prompto and Ignis couldn’t. The siblings grabbed the person nearest to them and prepared to warp, but before they even got the chance to, a figure appeared between Titan’s impending arm of doom and the four. She could recognize the large figure that carried a greatsword almost the same size as the figure himself. The greatsword blocked the Astral’s arm with ease and deflected it away.

“Enough talking!” yelled the figure. He turned towards the group, carefully resting the dull side of his blade on his shoulder. He first appeared upset, but there was a prideful smile stretched across his face. “Quit your whining and start fighting!”

Astra smiled at the familiarity of the man, “Gladio! Nice to know you made it in one piece!”

“It’s the only way I know how to! Now.” Gladio turned to look back at Titan. “Back to business.”

“What’s the plan?” asked Noctis with urgency as he looked at Astra. “Hit it hard and what else?”

Astra’s eyes remained blank at his question. Noctis slowly realized the answer hidden within her reaction and couldn’t help but smile nervously in disbelief, “You want us to just hit it hard?”

“It’s a freaking god,” reasoned Astra. “There’s not much else we can do! Just make sure you focus on the arm—”

“No, duh.”

“If it was that obvious, then don’t ask !”

“Enough!” broke through Gladio. “We focus on the arm and coordinate our efforts!”

The great Astral stared at the group from up on high with its single eye. Astra felt Titan’s eye focus on her for a second, and she felt there be some sort of realization and understanding between the two. He was testing not only Noctis but also Astra. He was trying to see if she could figure out his message. And truthfully, she wasn’t sure she could, but with Noctis at her side, she knew she had to try. The connection between Astra and Titan only lasted for a split second. Without warning, the imperial MTs launched their spears towards Titan, allowing the return of the earlier chaos. The battle began once again.

It felt like it was every man for themself, except the feeling was divided amongst three teams. The MTs shot their spears towards Titan’s arm which would have been great for the rest of them since they too wanted to get rid of his arm but only if they knew Nifleheim wouldn’t kill Titan. Even if Titan was trying to prove their worth by brutally attacking them, they couldn’t stand by and let Niflheim kill yet another Astral; it sets the entire world off balance. And so, they had to fend off Titan’s attacks whilst also fighting off the MTs, who fortunately appeared to only have eyes for Titan and left them alone. 

Even gods tire, and occasionally, Titan would have to take a breather, resting his defenseless arm on the ground. That was the moment to strike. Everyone rained hellfire at that moment. Prompto brought out his heavy weapons. Ignis threw magic elemental flasks. Gladio swung with enough strength to level a forest. Noctis used his Royal Arms, and Astra dashed back and forth, striking with her elemental magically infused sword. The empire tried what they could, but it appeared that their god-killing weapon hadn’t arrived yet. First bit of good news they’ve had all day, but still, it wasn’t enough.

“He’s not budging,” yelled Astra as Titan regained his strength and readied his hand to attack. She observed the god and his movements. Her eyes went from his arm to his face. An idea appeared inside her head. It was an obvious attack that would work for the same reasons it might not. Replacing her sword with her rope-dagger, Astra tossed one end to a surprised Gladio, “I’m gonna need a lift.”

Gladio looked at the rope dagger in his hand then back at Astra. He grinned, finally understanding where she was going. He dematerialized his greatsword, holding his end with both hands, and nudged Noctis who stood beside him. Thankfully, Noctis was smarter than he looked and caught on fast. It could also probably have something to do with the fact that they were twin siblings.

Holding onto her end tightly, Astra began running around Gladio in a circle. He followed her, holding the end of his rope, building momentum and speed. It became harder and harder to keep up with the speed Gladio was pulling her, and Astra feared she’d trip and seriously hurt herself and others. But Gladio guided her towards Noctis who had summoned his full-body shield. Once Astra had stepped onto his shield, Noctis pushed off the ground with his entire strength, angling his shield up and toward Titan, and propelled Astra into the air, leaving her rope-dagger behind and flying towards Titan’s face.

There was no way their sheer strength would be enough to make the trip. Astra knew that. She summoned daggers and threw them continuously in the direction of Titan’s face and warped to them; it was similar to what she had done before at the Crown City. Warp after warp, she slowly closed the distance between her and Titan. Having left the rope dagger behind, Astra summoned it back into her hand and, once she was close enough, launched the end with the dagger towards the protruding pieces of meteor on Titan’s face, holding onto the other end of the rope dagger. The end with the dagger wrapped around the protruding pieces of rock on Titan’s face. Gravity pushed her onto Titan’s face; she was basically rock climbing on a god’s face. 

Astra summoned her sword into her right, still holding onto the rope dagger with her left. She was too small and too close for Titan to realize she was right beside his eye. Magic coursed from her body into her sword as it began to glow. The blinding light finally caught Titan’s attention, but Astra wasn’t going to give him the chance to respond. She struck his single eye with full force and unleashed the magic that had been building up inside it. A roar of pain erupted from Titan. It shook the ground, and the simple vibrations made Astra lose her sense of balance. 

Falling was something she had surprisingly gotten used to, but it wasn’t a pleasurable experience. Her rope dagger and sword had dematerialized, and there was nothing around her. If she followed her current course, Astra would have landed splat at Titan’s feet. To avoid said fate, she threw her dagger towards the strip of land Noctis and others were at. She warped to her dagger and found a giant looming hand of doom over her. Titan swatted her like a fly. She was able to shield her face, but the blunt impact of his hit felt like getting run over by a Catoblepas. Her body was thrown towards her original destination at a much faster pace than she had originally planned. She was falling, and nothing could save her. With eyes closed, she awaited the worst.

Chapter Text

She closed her eyes and mentally prepared for a rough landing, but the thought of pain didn’t live up to the actual experience. She felt her shoulder blade dig into the ground upon contact, triggering an intense wave of pain centered in her chest. Her flailed body rolled on the ground for what felt to be an endless amount of time. The taste of dirt entered her mouth, and the rough pebbles and rocks on the ground clawed at her skin. Suddenly, her body made a sudden impact with something stiff. She felt a pair of familiar arms wrap around her and shield her entire body. The two entwined bodies continued rolling but eventually came to a stop.

Surprisingly, pain wasn’t the first thing that her focus shifted to now that she had stopped rolling; it was the lingering taste of dirt in her mouth. Astra opened her eyes and smacked her lips, spitting the remaining dirt out her mouth. She pulled herself away from the arms that still held onto her tightly and knelt beside the body. His blonde hair was covered in dust and pebbles; the same could be said about his clothes. He had the same kind of scratches that Astra had on her body. His eyes remained clothes, and Astra felt her heart falter.

Brushing hair away from his face, Astra hoped for good news, “Prompto?”

He groaned, and Astra breathed a sigh of relief. She wasn’t sure just how hurt he was, but he was alive. That was what mattered.

“I’m good. How about you?” asked Prompto, barely opening his eyes. Even in the middle of a battle, Prompto’s eyes gazed into Astra’s with such emotions that she could never comprehend. He caressed the scratches on her face with a worried look. “You took a direct hit from Titan.”

“And lived to tell the tale,” smiled Astra.

A shadow suddenly loomed over the two. Before Astra could turn around, a strong gust of wind blew towards them, bringing pebbles and rocks in their direction. Prompto quickly shielded her as she closed her eyes as an attempt to keep the dust out of her eyes. She could hear the echoing sound of something making contact with a metallic object. Feeling the wind settle, Astra opened her eyes and found Gladio, shielding them from the rocks that Titan’s most recent attack unearthed.

“Are you two done staring into each other's eyes!?” yelled Gladio, pulling Astra to her feet as if she were a ragdoll. “Or do you still need a minute?”

Astra summoned her sword and pushed Gladio aside, striking down a piece of rubble that would have decapitated him, “After you.”

She re-entered the fray once again, leaving the two behind. Gladio and Prompto followed soon after in her footsteps. It was the endgame now. The final act. It was all or nothing. Everyone gave it their best. Noctis used his Armiger; something that didn’t please Astra. The Armiger was made up of the Royal Arms of Old Kings. Together, they formed an intense and concentrated amount of magic, or arcana as scholars like to say. Using such a high amount of magic takes a toll on the user; Astra knew this from personal experience. It was the reason why her hair was turning silver and why she always had to be careful with her use of magic. Wielding the Ring of the Lucii held the same effect but in a more drastic way. Astra couldn’t help but be reminded of her dad, King Regis, and the years he struggled with his health.

“We’ve got an idea!” yelled Ignis to the rest of the group, without abstaining from battle.

Prompto chimed in, “And I helped!” Astra could hear him smile through the way he spoke.

“Well, since my last one didn’t do too well, I’m sure it can’t be worse,” answered Astra.

“Blizzara!” yelled Prompto. Astra turned to Ignis who only shrugged at the name. “We’ve gotta weaken his arm!”

Lightbulbs went off in everyone’s heads. Astra summoned her polearm. The corners of her mouth turned up into a menacing grin. She twirled her polearm, “I’ll pin his arm.”

Achieving the necessary altitude wasn’t too hard. It seemed that fighting at high altitudes was something she had to get used to and slowly began to master. Astra jumped as Titan’s hand already hovered above the ground. Astra landed on his hand and jumped up as he lowered his hand for an attack. She used her magic to launch herself back down to his hand with immense impact, pushing his arm down to the ground. Astra’s polearm wasn’t able to fully penetrate Titan’s hand, but the magic she had used served as a paralytic that numbed Titan’s nerves temporarily. The rest of the boys threw flasks of ice magic the moment Astra jumped off Titan’s hand. 

Titan’s entire forearm was frozen, but Astra could see the god attempting to regain control of his limb once again. After summoning her rope-dagger, Astra held onto one end tightly then tossed the other end over Titan’s hand to Gladio on the other side, allowing them to hold Titan’s hand down just a while longer. Ignis came forward to help Astra with her end while Prompto helped Gladio. Noctis summoned his greatsword and held it tightly with his two hands. The cold from the ice magic sent chills down his spine as he raised his weapon for one last strike. He swung his greatsword down with all of his remaining strength, and it was more than enough. Titan’s hand and part of his arm crumbled and shattered upon impact; the old god lost his balance and his only weapon. Titan used the stub of his remaining arm to rest and balance himself, looming over the five individuals who cut his limb. 

“Does that mean…it’s over?” asked Prompto.

Astra looked up at the weakened Titan. If he really wanted to kill them, even out of revenge, he would have let his body fall upon them, killing them all in one shot. But he didn’t. He still wanted something. Or maybe, just maybe, he needed to do something for them. The ground began to shake once again. Everyone looked up and saw Titan, standing back up and preparing for one last move.

“You just had to jinx it,” said Noctis to Prompto.

Gladio summoned his shield, “He’s preparing for one last move. A big one!”

Astra fell to her knees. She held her head and curled up her fists, filled with chunks of her hair. Cold. Her head felt cold to the point it felt like it was on fire. She couldn’t hear anything. Even the rumbling that echoed throughout the earth felt like a distant sensation. The pain was overwhelming. It felt like it numbed her nerves and paralyzed her muscles. She couldn’t move. Faint murmurings were whispered. She could barely open her eyes to see her friends with worried faces; their lips moved to form words, but Astra couldn’t understand any of it. She couldn’t speak. Keeling over her body and facing the ground, only screams of pain left her lips. Titan nonsensical words spilled into her head once again. 

“Etro’s chosen….defy fate…embrace it…” Titan’s words hammered into Astra’s mind. “Fulfill your purpose…fallen star.”

“What…does that even mean!?” screamed out Astra, using all her strength to look up at the cryptic god.

Another cry of pain erupted, but it wasn’t hers. She looked to find Noctis also clutching onto his head. Her body moved on its own. Her legs moved one after another and forced her body to stand up. She took a single step toward her brother, but she fell back to her knees. There was no more she could do on her own.  Astra wondered if Titan was filling Noctis’ head with cryptic messages as well. She reached out for her brother, but she couldn’t reach him.

Gladio pulled Astra’s arm around his shoulder and stood her up, balancing her body against his own. “Keep it together,” he whispered with worry.

Noctis shook his head, blinking away the pain, and looked up to Titan. “Luna…You spoke with her?”

Titan didn’t answer Noctis and only let out one last roar; it split the ground they stood on. Little sparks of gold appeared and clung to the god’s body. Titan began to glow a golden color and slowly became translucent. A blinding flash of light forced everyone to close their eyes; when they opened, Titan was gone as if he had never been. The meteor he once carried on his back safely rested on the ground. Everyone looked around, attempting to find where the old god had escaped to. Maybe they would be able to catch him running into the distance, but he was nowhere to be found. Despite the god’s disappearance, Astra’s head still felt like it was being split open. A scream of pain let everyone know she was still suffering.

“Titan’s gone!” yelled Prompto. “She should be better!”

“Unless this wasn’t his doing,” answered Ignis.

Gladio carried Astra with both his arms like a bride, “None of that matters now. We’ve gotta go. Now!”

Titan’s sudden disappearance threw their surrounding nature out of balance. Lava burst out from the ground, and the earth continued to shake due to the absence of their once immovable foundation. Gladio led the way and everyone else followed. Astra's hazy eyes looked over his shoulder toward the place Titan once stood. There was a woman. A familiar woman. She didn't know why, but the woman’s appearance was familiar— her white hair, starlight freckles, and dark skin. The woman’s lilac eyes peered into Astra as if she could see through her. Astra knew her. Astra could feel her. It was a comforting feeling— one that called out to her and made her feel whole. Astra reached out to her; she wanted to feel it even more.

Astra’s view of the woman was covered by Noctis who held onto Astra’s extended hand. She moved her head around, attempting to look past her brother, but the woman was gone. And Astra didn’t know if she was ever coming back. Closing her eyes, she longed for the feeling of comfort that had just escaped her, but the warmth in her hand called her back to the present. Astra looked to her brother. He held onto her hand tightly as if she could slip past his fingers any moment. His eyes looked teary; he’d probably say it was the dust floating around. The thought made Astra smile.

A gust of wind blew that surprised the group. They all turned to look at the cause and found a magitek engine slowly landing beside them. Noctis let go of Astra’s hand and positioned himself before her and Gladio with his sword in hand. The engine’s drop doors opened to reveal a single figure instead of the usual small battalion. Even with Astra’s hazy eyes, she could sense who it was. The realization made her skin crawl.

“Fancy meeting you here,” said Ardyn in a song as if they weren’t in a hurry. “I’ve just realized that I’ve never properly introduced myself: Ardyn Izunia.”

Everyone recognized the name. The fact that Astra hadn’t been able to piece the information together earlier enraged her.

“Imperial Chancellor Izunia?” asked Ignis in disbelief.

Ardyn bowed, “At your service and currently, also at your aid. It appears you need it.” He looked around to the rising levels of lava and at Astra who laid helplessly in Gladio’s arms. “I guarantee you safe passage aboard my ship. Unless you would rather take your chances down there.”

Everyone looked at Noctis, but Astra couldn’t bear to look him in the eyes.

“Astra’s in no good condition,” said Gladio.

That was all Noctis really needed to hear. Astra had once told him that swallowing one’s pride was something that could keep them alive. And, he was going to make sure Astra would stay alive. Astra couldn’t bring herself to speak up. Noctis looked up to Ardyn without saying a word. The Chancellor only smiled, realizing what Noctis’ decision was. Walking into the lion’s den, the group dragged their feet entering the magitek engine as the doors closed behind them, sealing them in with one of their worst enemies.

The drop off point Noctis gave Ardyn wasn’t far, but the few minutes they spent inside the magitek engine felt overwhelmingly long. Every minute of it was filled with pain for Astra. Gladio had plopped her on the ground as she rested her back on the wall. She did her best to not show the pain on her face; instead, she dug her nails into her skin and clutched onto her legs for comfort. Nonetheless, it didn’t stop Ardyn from speaking about it. The Imperial Chancellor swayed his way toward Astra but Noctis stopped him in his path.

Raising his hands as a show of amnesty, Ardyn faked a look of worry, “I’m just worried for her, that’s all.”

“Yeah, well, keep your worry at a safe distance,” warned Gladio.

Ardyn looked past Noctis to the crumpled mess of pain Astra had become, “Looks like Titan said too much. Humans aren’t really made to withstand divine communication. She should really be dead unless …” A grin formed on his lips. “There is another keeping her from falling apart.”

No one understood what he was talking about, but since learning that he was Nifleheim’s chancellor, they’ve learned that his riddles were most likely just intimidation tactics. Noctis ignored Ardyn and walked back to Astra’s side. To avoid thinking about her splitting head, Astra tried to think about anything and everything else. Chocobos, Cindy, Monsters, Lestallum— you name it; it went through her head. But that was the problem. She thought about everything. She thought about her home, her friends, her men…her dad. It all brought her back the day it all fell apart. The day she last saw Luna. The day she lost her dad—

Wait.

She remembered him— remembered Ardyn. There was no way she couldn’t have been able to recognize the Imperial Chancellor when he had visited the capital the day of the attack. Astra had even shared a drink with him, a thought that disgusted her. So, how is it possible that she didn’t recognize him the day they met at Lestallum? But that wasn’t all. He had been a nightmare that followed her since long ago.

“You were there.” Astra loosened her grip on her legs as she looked up at Ardyn. “Weren’t you?”

Ardyn continued smiling but looked perplexed, “I’m afraid I don’t follow.”

But Astra knew he did. 

“You were there,” she stated. Astra willed her body to stand on her feet. It was hard, but she used the wall for support and balance. Gladio and Prompto attempted to help her, but Astra pushed past them. She looked straight into Ardyn’s eyes as she slowly approached him, “You were there…the Battle of Zeklea— you were there. The day the empire attacked my home— the day he died. You were there!”

The air was tense at Astra’s cry. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes. The feeling of holding back her tears made her head feel worse. The patches in her memory were slowly filling back up, and most of them had one thing in common: Ardyn. It was his fault. All of it. It was all his fault.

“ Princess , my position as Chancellor requires me to be at certain places whether it is something I desire or not,” reasoned Ardyn as attempted to calm Astra.

“The day they went to kill Deadeye…the day I stayed behind.” Astra recollected herself as she stared at the ground. Tears finally slipped out of her eyes, but she didn’t try to stop it. Her face was calm, and her voice was quiet. “You were there.”

Ardyn could feel everyone staring at him. Noctis and his friends shared looks of worry amongst themselves. If what Astra was saying was true, then that meant Ardyn had been following them this entire time— that the one who had brought Astra to the brink of death was Ardyn. He had somehow wiped her memories and erased the evidence of his involvement. Ardyn looked at each of the figures that glared at him from behind Astra. A mocking grin appeared on his face.

Without warning, Astra pinned Ardyn against the wall at lightning speed by placing her arm at his neck. Seeing Ardyn smile so despicably enraged Astra. She wanted to kill him. She wanted to make him pay. Her current condition was far too weak to hold him for long, so a quick death was all she could offer him. She was satisfied as long as he died. Astra took Nyx’s kukri from her sheathe with her free hand and raised her arm, preparing to stab Ardyn in the neck. Suddenly, an arm held back the hand that held the kukri. She turned to look at Gladio. A sting of betrayal struck her heart as Gladio took the kukri from her hand. Ignis moved Astra off Ardyn, allowing the Chancellor to breathe. The shock of her friends betraying her made it easy for them to place some distance between Astra and Ardyn.

“My thanks,” said Ardyn, massaging his neck.

The sound of his exasperating voice brought back the fury that had momentarily escaped her. She slipped out of Ignis' grasp and stepped forward to attack Ardyn again, but Prompto held her back, wrapping his arms around her from behind.

“I’ll kill you! I’m going to kill you!” screamed Astra, fighting against Prompto’s grasp. “You took them from me! You killed them!”

Her screams echoed throughout the room. Ignis and Gladio stood before Ardyn, just in case Astra slipped out of Prompto’s grasp. Noctis felt helpless. All he could do was watch. He couldn’t pretend to understand her pain. All those memories filled with pain came rushing back to her all at once. He looked at Ardyn who observed Astra from afar; upon a closer look, he could see the corners of Ardyn’s lips slightly turn upward. Rage washed over Noctis at the sight of the smirking imperial Chancellor, and Noctis almost attacked him himself. But the screams from Astra brought him back to reality. A reality where they couldn’t get the things they wanted. Astra was still trying to escape Prompto’s grasp. Prompto turned Astra’s body toward him. Her arms were stuck between the tight hug that bound Prompto and Astra together. He slowly lowered himself, lowering Astra with him at the same time, and rested against a wall.

“Easy. It’s okay,” whispered Prompto gently into Astra’s ear as he buried his face in her shoulder. “It’s okay. It’s going to be okay. I promise.”

Astra stopped trying to escape Prompto’s arms. She buried her face into his chest and shook her head. Prompto didn’t stop whispering and talking to her, trying to calm her down. He continued holding onto her without carrying about the looks Ardyn was giving them. This was the best Prompto could do— hold her, muffle her cries, and whisper words of comfort. Little by little, Astra’s cries began to die out and began to breathe gently. Prompto looked at Astra’s face. Her brows were still furrowed, and her eyes were closed and puffy. Her eyelashes were wet, and he could still see teardrops. She had crumpled Prompto’s shirt into her hands. Even asleep, she didn’t let him go.

Chapter Text

“Do you want to keep it?”

Astra looked down at what she held in her hands. It was a small bird. She wasn’t familiar with the species. It appeared to be a baby chocobo, but thanks to Prompto, she knew that baby chocobos didn’t look like that. The baby bird had dark gray feathers; white feathers were scattered around the bird’s body. The baby bird’s small beak was black, matching its eyes. It was pudgy and soft. Astra liked it. She looked up to see who had asked her the question. Her heart skipped a beat when she noticed it was her father. He looked younger and less gray; he also wore a simple suit instead of his royal cape. Astra didn’t spot him wearing his knee brace either. This was a memory. Looking down at her own young body only confirmed her suspicions.

“I don’t know,” answered Astra. “Won’t his mom worry?”

King Regis smiled at his daughter as he lifted her up and carried her on his arm. Astra caressed the baby bird’s feathers slowly, fearing she would wake him from his sleep. The baby bird she held in her arms had fallen from a tree at the Citadel. Astra took it upon herself to nurse it back to health. Now, all fixed, the last step was letting go. Something Astra wasn’t hesitant to do.

“She probably will,” admitted King Regis to his daughter.

Astra looked at her father with sad eyes, “I don’t like that.”

Gently massaging the baby bird’s chin with measured strength, Astra attempted to wake the bird. Within a few blinks, a wide eyed baby bird was staring up at Astra. Astra had become fond of the bird, and it was obvious the bird reciprocated the feeling. Even though his wing was fixed, the baby bird hadn’t left Astra and remained in her hands.

“You have to go, little bird.” Astra spoke softly to the small creature.

The baby bird only leaned into Astra’s touch, not understanding her words or the reason why she looked sad. Astra planted a small and delicate kiss on the baby bird and raised the baby bird to the sky.

“Look at the sky— how blue it is,” said Astra. “It’s yours. All of it. So, how could I keep you from it?”

King Regis looked at his daughter with pride. The warmth from her body touched his heart. Astra’s kindness, smile, and choice of words— it all reminded him so much of her mother. Her eyes were full of light and hope. Occasionally, King Regis would see specks of purple in her dark blue eyes, and in those moments, he’d remember the first time he ever laid eyes upon his daughter. Astra’s eyes didn’t look away from the baby bird in her hand. King Regis could see her attempt to telepathically convince the baby bird to fly as she bit her bottom lip. Then, the baby bird stood up and stretched its wings; Astra’s eyes widened at the spectacle. The baby bird tilted its head; it seemed to observe her as much as she observed it.

The baby bird sang a calm and mellow song obviously dedicated to Astra. Then it flapped its wings and flew away. Astra watched with a broad smile as the bird slowly faded from view into the blue sky Astra had promised it. The moment she could no longer see the baby bird was the moment her smile also faded. Her lips trembled as she began to sniffle. She buried her face into her father’s neck as she hugged him tightly. King Regis could see and feel her tremble in his arms as she cried to herself quietly. 

He caressed her head and looked into her eyes, “What’s wrong? The baby bird is going back to its mom.”

“I know,” said Astra as King Regis wiped her tears. “But I’m going to miss it.”

“Then why did you let it go?”

No longer crying, Astra rested her head back on her father’s shoulder, “Because it had to be free.”

Astra awoke with tears in her eyes. Her body felt sore, and the absence of the once repugnant headache that cursed her somehow felt odd. She wiped her tears and forced herself to sit up. Observing her surroundings, Astra recognized where she was instantly: the caravan at the Wiz Chocobo Post. Once again, she awoke alone; she could only assume that everyone else was outside, waiting for her. Deciding to leave the comfort of her bed, Astra moved herself to the tiny bathroom located inside the caravan. Leaving the bathroom door open, she leaned over the sink. She wasn’t wearing her normal clothes but a familiar oversized shirt; she had to remember to thank Noctis since she knew it wasn’t an easy task for him. 

Looking back up into the mirror, Astra observed herself. She was still wearing her choker, and the necklace her father gifted her. After wearing them for so long, her neck would feel bare without them. Her hair was no longer in a ponytail. She combed her hair with her hands and noticed that she wasn’t wearing her gloves either. Peeking out the bathroom and looking to the bed, she found her gloves at the bedside. Astra returned to the bathroom and rinsed her face with water. The cool water woke her up and made her feel wide away. She wiped away the water’s excess and looked at herself in the mirror. But, when she looked up, she noticed she wasn’t alone. In the mirror, Astra saw a familiar woman standing behind her— the woman from earlier with the white hair.

Astra turned around instantly. She hoped the woman would mysteriously disappear like they do in scary movies, but the woman was still there, staring into Astra’s eyes. This was the closest they’d been. If Astra wanted to, she could take her. The woman was unarmed and appeared to be an easy opponent. But something told Astra that she didn’t want to fight. Maybe it was time she listened to her father’s words and decided to speak first instead.

“Who are you?” Astra finally managed to ask.

The woman simply smiled, “You’ve flourished living among them.” It was a kind smile that reminded Astra of her mother.

“I don’t know you.” The words come out as if Astra was trying to convince herself more than anything.

Cupping her chin, the woman frowned, as she lost herself to her thoughts. Seconds went by that felt like minutes, and all that remained was silence. Astra observed the strange woman, preparing for the worst case scenario, but the woman continued searching her thoughts, practically ignoring Astra’s presence. Astra also lost herself staring at the woman. She was unearthly beautiful. Astra feared the day her hair would turn completely silver at a young age, but the woman before her wore her white hair like a goddess. Gold cloth draped itself across her body and purple and blue gems adorned her. Her lilac eyes shined like jewels even in the shadows

“It’s too soon,” said the woman to herself. “The stars have yet to align.”

Astra smiled awkwardly like she did when she had to deal with strange businessmen in Insomnia, “What?”

“The time has yet to come,” answered the woman. “But I will watch over you.”

“No, no, no. You are not leaving until you answer my questions.” Astra stepped forward and held the woman by her wrist. Her wrist felt small but strong. The woman’s skin felt cool to touch. “Who are you?”

With her free hand, the woman held Astra’s hand. She never stopped smiling, “You know who I am.”

All it took was a blink. In a blink of an eye, the strange woman was gone. Gone as if she had never been there. Astra looked down at the hand that had held the woman. There was no way she imagined her. Astra had heard the woman speak and even touched her. But in the end, she left, and Astra felt just as lost as before. Well, not really. She did know the woman’s name, and now she knew her face.

Etro.

From outside the caravan, Prompto spoke, “Shouldn’t the car have turned up by now?”

Exiting the caravan, Astra found her brother and friends sitting around the foldable table outside. Talk about deja vu. She thought back to the last time she awoke at the same exact outpost after a near death experience. She had changed back into her regular clothes; it somehow felt weird not wearing them or her gloves. They were all even sitting in the same seats as last time; hers was empty and situated beside Prompto. They must have sensed her presence since they were already turning to look at her the moment she walked out the door. Noctis and everyone else at the table stood up at the mere sight of her as if she were a walking miracle.

“Morning,” she managed to say as she sat herself down at the table.

Realizing she was well, Ignis smiled as he sat back down, “It’s actually the afternoon.”

Everyone else followed Ignis' example but didn’t take their eyes off her. There was food on the table, and its scent tempted Astra.

“What’d I miss?” asked Astra, stealing Noctis’ food.

Noctis watched as Astra took bites out of the food she stole from him. He had really been looking forward to eating that, but he really couldn’t bring himself to act like a typical little brother and complain about it. He did his best to ignore the food, “The empire has blockades pretty much everywhere and….the Regalia is missing.”

Astra was able to piece everything together with a sigh, “The empire has it?”

Noctis could only nod. Astra took a sip from a drink she also stole from Noctis. It was very savoring, and in the depths of her heart, she thanked her brother for having a similar palette as her. She fiddled with the straw as she entertained her thoughts in silence.

“ He probably knows where it’s at,” said Astra coldly. “ Ardyn .”

It was true, but no one wanted to bring up the Imperial Chancellor. Not after what happened in the magitek engine. Astra knew that they were trying to avoid the subject as they looked back and forth between themselves, attempting to figure out who would be the first to talk. In the end, Gladio took one for the team.

“Astra…” Gladio’s voice was soft— something he usually didn’t do. Astra could hear the regret in his voice and the fear. “About what happened back there— about what I did when I…stopped you—”

“I get why you did it,” interrupted Astra. She smiled at Gladio who could barely muster the courage to look her in the eyes. “Had I… killed him, the empire would have rained hell— used that to wage war on Lucis. Given Lucis’ current weakened state, Nifleheim would have total control within the week.”

“Still…” was all Gladio could get out.

“I mean, I still want to kill him,” admitted Astra. “But I wasn’t thinking straight at the time. It was the right call, Gladio.”

Astra had only taken a few bites and sips from Noctis’ food, but she suddenly had no appetite. She slid the food back to her brother and smiled with a nod, attempting to deliver her thankfulness. Astra looked around to those sitting around her. The worried looks warmed her heart. She knew how much they cared for her, and they proved it time after time. It was time Astra picked up the pace and did the same for them.

“I want to thank you guys. For everything.” Astra felt tears forming in her eyes as she looked around to her friends. “Seriously.”

A distant bark called their attention away from the current conversation. They all turned to look at a familiar canine; the mere sight of it warmed Astra’s heart as a smile formed on her face without her knowing. The canine was a spitz-like dog with a line of white fur across its muzzle. At a first glance, it appeared to be an entirely normal dog, but everyone at the table knew better.

“It’s Umbra,” said Prompto with glee.

Umbra was a messenger of the Astrals and served Luna; he delivered messages between Luna and Noctis no matter how far they were. Prompto had met Umbra’s sister, Pryna,  when he was younger. Pryna had lost her way delivering a message and wounded herself; Prompto nursed Pryna back to health without even knowing that the cute little pup was really a messenger of the gods.

Noctis stood up and approached Umbra. He didn’t smile, but Astra could decipher the thoughts that ran through his mind by simply looking into his eyes. The moment Noctis got close, Umbra ran away. Bewildered, Noctis turned to the group with a confused look. Joined by the others, Astra stood up and followed Noctis who soon ran after Umbra. Umbra led them to the forest nearby the outpost. After leading them there, Umbra ran behind a tree and disappeared. They all looked around for the missing canine, but it was obvious that he had left. Astra was still searching when she felt a presence appear.

“Gentiana,” said Noctis with surprise.

Astra turned to look, and sure enough, there she was. She couldn’t remember when was the last time she saw Gentiana. Similarly to Umbra, Gentiana was also a messenger of the Astrals, serving under Luna. Messengers were able to choose their corporal forms, and Gentiana chose the form of a woman. Nonetheless, her clothes gave away her mystical nature. Gentiana had the habit of keeping her eyes closed; Luna once told Astra it was because she wanted to see with more than her eyes. Noctis, when he was younger, would say it was because she was too lazy to open her eyes.

“Hear me, O King of the Stone,” said Gentiana. Her eyes remained closed as she politely held her hands together. “By the Stormsender’s blessing will the path to the Stone be opened. The Oracle goes hence in the king’s name.”

“Luna,” said Noctis, barely able to speak her name without worrying. “Where is she now?”

“The eye of the Storm,” replied Gentiana. “When the covenant is forged, the Oracle and ring shall await the King at the Walls of Water. Stray not from the path.”

Noctis could only nod. Pressuring Gentiana into answering the million questions he had would do him no good. She told him everything he needed to know— that Luna was alive. Astra, however, had a few questions of her own. The feeling Astra got from Gentiana’s presence was familiar and similar to Etro; there had to be some correlation. Maybe, just maybe, Gentiana may be able to provide some answers. But in a blink of an eye, Gentiana disappeared. 

“She’s a Messenger,” explained Ignis to Prompto. “Faithful to the Oracle.”

“Like Umbra and Pryna,” added Astra.

On cue, Umbra appeared from behind a tree. The faithful canine approached Noctis and showed off the book on his back. Noctis smiled, kneeling down and taking the book from him. Astra did her best not to peek since Noctis was always so private about what they wrote in the book— that and she once teased Noctis about and he didn’t let her see it ever since. Astra could only see Noctis caress the page he was looking at. His face was strained with pain and longing. Noctis took out a pen, quickly wrote down his thoughts, and then securely placed the book back with Umbra.

“Let Luna know. I’m okay, and she won’t have to wait much longer,” said Noctis with a soft smile. “We’ll be together soon.”

Noctis pet Umbra as he lost himself to reminiscent thoughts. He thought back to the peaceful times he spent with Luna back in Tenebrae. They would spend their days reading stories and visiting the land’s beautiful gardens. Even back then, Luna was always so mature; Noctis couldn’t help but wonder if maybe she knew what awaited for them in the future. Noctis stood back up after a moment and found Astra staring at him with a teasing smile plastered across her face. He rolled his eyes and walked back to his friends. Astra took a singular step when a voice called out to her. She turned every which way, trying to find it, but no one was there. Not even Umbra.

“Child of stars,” echoed a voice inside Astra’s head.

Astra then recognized the feeling and voice. It was Gentiana, and she was speaking to her telepathically, like Titan did. However, instead of a pounding headache, the sensation of Gentiana’s voice inside her head felt comforting. Astra looked around to her friends but noticed that only she heard Gentiana’s voice.

“To the child of stars, this message I bring,” said Gentiana. “The stars align as eternal night arrives. To fulfill fate and liberate the destiny of others is the duty befallen to the young star. Although clouds shadow your sight, the star’s light will never die.”

“Etro,” said Astra inside her head. “You know her?”

There was a moment of silence, and Astra thought she had scared off Gentiana.

“The goddess awakens from her slumber of sorrow. Her love for the children of Eos fills her heart,” answered Gentiana. “She follows the child born of star and blood in hope for their liberation.”

It wasn’t hard to connect the dots and figure out that Astra was “the child of the stars,” but that didn’t really make anything clearer for her.

“ Liberation ?” asked Astra inside her head. “From what? Destiny? What destiny—”

“The eternal night calls action from the divine. The child of stars shall guide all through the dark toward the Chosen's future reign of light.”

Gentiana’s telepathic presence disappeared from Astra’s mind, and Astra knew that she was gone. Her questions would go unanswered, and her worries only increased. She looked back to Noctis and found him lost in deep thought. Astra wondered if Gentiana had also communicated with him telepathically, considering he’s the main character of the whole prophecy. Judging by the fact that no one was staring at her as if she were a weirdo, she knew that the past few moments of conversation that felt like minutes were only mere seconds. A part of her wanted to tell them about the conversation and her meeting with the mysterious goddess, Etro, but they had enough to deal with on their own. They didn’t need her problems.

“So what’s the plan, boss?” Prompto asked Noctis.

Noctis looked off into the distance. There was a storm approaching quickly; thunder could be heard from where they stood. The lightning shined brightly in the distance, and that’s where Noctis set his gaze upon.

“Into the storm, I guess,” answered Noctis.

“So Ramuh’s next,” said Astra, standing next to her brother. She watched as the deathly lightning struck the ground from afar and how the roaring thunder echoed into her ears. “I hate lightning.”

“It’s okay,” smiled Noctis innocently, leaning towards her; that was enough to raise Astra’s suspicion. “I’ll protect you.”

Astra pushed Noctis away from her and glared, “Don’t you even think about touching me.”

For her pride as an older sister, there was no way she would cower behind Noctis just because there was lightning. No way. She would never allow it. She’d rather die. Astra left Noctis and the rest of the guys and walked back to the caravan with an upset pep in her step. It was obvious that the news from Luna put Noctis in a good mood— good enough a mood to tease Astra, and that was a line she wouldn’t tolerate him crossing.

“I still remember little you sneaking into my bed whenever there was lightning and thunder,” yelled Noctis loud enough for Astra to hear from a distance. “Did you ever get over it?”

Astra only shook her head and covered her ears. She wasn’t going to listen to his taunts. Determined to continue teasing his sister, Noctis ran after her and circled her, attempting to get her to read his lips at the very least. Still covering her ears, Astra closed her eyes and twirled around to avoid her brother. Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto watched the sibling’s spectacle. There was an odd feeling of pleasant disbelief.

“There goes the Royal lineage of Lucis,” said Ignis with a nostalgic smile.

“Still, with all that’s changed so far,” began Gladio. “You gotta appreciate the small things that don’t.”

Prompto felt warmth, observing the siblings. There was once a time he would spend his youthful days with the two. The two would argue and tease each other just as they did now. He could see the image of the younger versions of both Astra and Noctis overlap with their current bodies. Gladio was right. Many things had changed, but the relationship between the twins remained as strong as ever. The struggles they traversed through would only strengthen their bond. No god or daemon could stand between them.

Chapter Text

“I want to ride my chocobo all day,” sang Prompto in a jingle.

Astra was always amazed at Prompto’s positive nature. Even now, as it rained and lightning flashed in the corner of their eyes, Prompto smiled as he joyfully rode his chocobo. The group had decided to use chocobos as their mode of travel. Wet chocobos did not smell pleasant, but Prompto didn’t care. Fortunately, their destination wasn’t too far. Nonetheless, every thundering sound made Astra sit up with alarm.

“I didn't know you were afraid of thunder,” said Gladio to Astra, riding his chocobo alongside her.

Astra wiped the drop of rain from her face as if it weren’t going to get wet immediately after, “It just catches me off guard.”

“If I remember correctly, you were afraid as a child because it reminded you of a lion roar,” added Ignis, joining them.

“As a child? Yes.”

Gladio combed his hand through his hair, “So the reason’s changed?”

“Yeah,” answered Astra as she left the two behind and joined Noctis who was further ahead.

Astra couldn’t bring herself to say why. She wasn’t the only one with that kind of problem. As a matter of fact, she was better off than most. It wasn't uncommon for soldiers who came back home from battle to suffer trauma. Different things triggered different people. Some would suffer schizophrenic episodes, panic attacks, and more. Astra had suffered some of those after she first came home to Insomnia, but she’d gotten better. Nonetheless, sounds like thunder would still trigger her. Astra touched Nyx’s sheathed kukri that rested safely inside her jacket for comfort.

“Is that the empire?” pointed out Prompto, looking ahead.

Everyone turned to look in the direction Prompto was directing his gaze. He was right. Like a persistent stalker, the empire followed them around.

Astra sighed at the sight of them, “Of course they’d be sticking their nose into other people’s business.”

“Perfect time to stretch our legs,” said Noctis with vigor, summoning his sword as he rushed ahead towards danger.

“Or we could have just gone around,” added Astra in a defeated tone. She knew that there was no point in stopping Noctis now.

Astra and the rest of Noctis' royal retinue followed him and left their chocobos to join the fight. It was a simple fight. Only a single magitek engine had landed; the battalion of MTs wandered around aimlessly but attacked as soon as they set their eyes on their human opponents. The fight didn’t last long enough for any of them to work a sweat. That’s when Astra noticed that they were closer to the lightning location Noctis had been leading them to. The color of the lightning was a shade of purple Astra couldn’t quite name. It was captivating— captivating enough for Noctis to follow it without saying another word to the others. Once again, Astra and the others followed after the little prince. They quietly followed the almost entranced Noctis without saying many words, but Gladio appeared distracted as he glued his eyes to his phone.

“Something wrong?” Astra asked Gladio.

Gladio put his phone away with furrowed brows, “It’s Iris. She won’t answer.”

“I think it’s safe to assume that the empire is messing with the lines, and this storm just helps them,” assured Astra. “I’m sure it’s nothing to worry about.”

“We’re here,” alerted Ignis.

Between the crevices of two large boulders, there stood what appeared to be a small crystalized tree. They all marveled at the sight and watched as lightning would flash down to strike it. Noctis slowly approached it with caution. He reached out with his hand. Sparks began to fly, and lightning began to seep out of the crystalized tree and reach towards Noctis. The rest watched from a safe distance as the lightning lost itself in Noctis’ touch, watching the crystalized tree disappear from existence. Noctis shook his head at the sudden intake of the unfamiliar power.

“What is it?” asked Prompto. “Another headache?”

Taking the lead in walking away, Noctis shook his head, “I heard her— Gentiana.”

“Divine voices in your head again?” asked Gladio as they all followed Noctis.

Ignis wiped the water from his glasses, “Hopefully, it won’t lead to the same headache it did with the Archean.”

Astra could hear Noctis grunt once again, “She say some more?”

“Luna,” began to speak Noctis. “She’s awakening the Six.”

“Six,” muttered Astra to herself. “Was there always only six Astral gods?”

Ignis looked at Astra strangely but still answered, “That’s what the stories of old say. Why?”

“Just asking.”

The journey to their second location was further this time. It was on the opposite side of Duscae, and so they were back to riding chocobos. There was more talking this time around. Prompto inquired about Gentiana and her nature; Ignis answered most of the questions with occasional help from Noctis. Gladio continued his attempts at contacting Iris, but they were futile and ended with a voicemail. The talk made time go by faster, and before they knew it, they were at their second location. Once again, they were met with a crystalized tree that called out to Noctis. The process was the same. Lightning seeped out and reached out towards Noctis, making the crystalized tree disappear. Astra could see Noctis shake yet another headache away.

“What did she say this time?” asked Astra.

Noctis massaged his temples, “Next one’s in a cave. Fociaugh Hollow.”

“Fuciaugh? Didn’t we already pass that?” asked Gladio

Astra scoffed, “Gods and their riddles. Let’s go.”

“I love dungeons,” said Gladio, walking down a cold cave.

They were at Faciaugh Hollow, a dungeon. They didn’t know what to expect inside this unfamiliar cave. All they knew was that daemons would most likely jump out to attack them from the shadows. With their weapons in hand, they awaited them as they progressed.

“Is it ‘cause you get to hit things?” asked Astra.

“I’m not some brute,” frowned Gladio. “It’s ‘cause I get to train.”

Astra smiled at Gladio with slight contempt, “You’re a gym rat-”

Prompto jumped between both Gladio and Astra, holding onto each of their arms. The cave was dark but their flashlights allowed them to see Prompto’s grim expression. He held onto them tightly and pulled them close to him.

“Did you guys hear that?” asked Prompto with a voice crack.

Gladio slipped out of Prompto’s grasp and pulled Astra away from him too, “It’s your conscience.”

“It’s probably just the wind,” said Astra.

Prompto shook his head, “It’s never just the wind . I’ve seen the movies.”

Astra nodded, attempting to hide the urge to laugh, “Okay. How about you stay behind me and Gladio. We do specialize in close-range, after all.”

Gladio joined Astra as she turned her back to Prompto. Moments later, they would all hear Prompto scream. Astra and Gladio turned around to help, but he was already long gone. They could only hear the echoes of his cry for help slowly die out into the distance.

“What the hell happened!?” shouted Gladio.

They all observed every dark corner they found for a trace of the blonde boy. There was no hope until Ignis spoke.

“Over here!” Ignis must have seen something in the corner of his eye and ran before he lost sight of his lead.

Ignis led them to a large cavern. There were many stalagmites and stalactites scattered throughout. Light shined into the cave to allow for some visibility, but it wouldn’t be enough to keep the daemons at bay. This was the perfect ground for a full-out attack from the daemons. They had the advantage of home territory. In the middle of the cavern and directly underneath the small amount of light inside the cave, there stood a familiar blonde boy.

“Prompto!” called out Noctis with relief.

Astra could see Prompto’s chest rise and fall persistently. He held his gun with both hands and looked around to the darkness, clearly wary of his surroundings. Relief spread throughout Astra’s entire body at the sight of him.

“Are you okay?” asked Astra as they all attempted to make their way toward Prompto.

Prompto shook his head, “No, I am not okay. Why did it have to be a snake!?”

They all deduced Prompto was talking about the daemon that had just kidnapped him. As soon as they arrived at Prompto’s side, daemons spawned out from the ground and pounced on them. It was an embarrassingly prolonged fight; Astra blamed the comforting darkness and limitless resources the daemons had inside the cave. There were a variety of them, but it didn’t matter in the end. They made sure none survived. After the daemons’ total annihilation, the gang continued on their merry way. Prompto became even more wary of the dark.

“I know she’s here,” moaned Prompto with fearful eyes. He opened his mouth widely, and Astra knew it wasn’t a good sign. “Show yourself—”

Astra slapped her hand over Prompto’s mouth, muffling his yell. Prompto turned to look at her with wide and still fearful eyes. She glared at the blonde and raised a finger vertically to her mouth, “Quiet!” Astra spoke harshly in a quiet tone as she retreated her hand from Prompto’s mouth. “You’re giving away our position.”

Prompto looked down, ashamed, and Gladio came up to smack Prompto’s shoulder, making him turn to see Gladio shake his head disappointedly. Prompto covered his own mouth with his two hands and closed his eyes as he nodded with regret and understanding. Astra left Prompto behind with Gladio and joined Noctis who led the way. The intricate cave system had many paths which meant many hidden corners in which daemons could pop out of at any given moment. They took a right, a left, a right, and yet another right— it felt like they weren’t getting anywhere. They had arrived at yet another grand and open cave when a single daemon jumped out from a pond of water. Everyone jumped back at a safe distance and first analyzed their opponent.

“There she is!” yelled Prompto, summoning his gun. “That’s her! Noct, do something!”

Noctis summoned his sword and prepared himself, “Do it yourself!”

The daemon was large and the size of two men— minimum. It had a snake-like body, allowing it to quickly slither across the room and between them. However, the daemon’s head did not resemble a serpent but a human woman. Her hair was pitch black; they didn’t know if it was the dirt or its natural color. Her face was pale white, matching the rest of its body, and her eyes were white as well. Maybe she was blind. 

“Where…” moaned the daemon. The daemon had an abnormally large mouth for the size of her head, and her muttering allowed them to get a good look of her sharp and deadly teeth. “Where…is he?”

The daemon didn’t attack, which was odd. It almost appeared…intelligent. The fact it was able to speak was rather astounding on its own, but what did this all mean then? Were daemons evolving? They took turns looking at each other, wondering what their next step would be. It felt weird attacking a daemon that appeared “domesticated.”

“I…know where?” answered Noctis, unsure of his own words.

“Then…that would mean.” The daemon’s eyes widened as she closed the distance between Noctis and her. “You took him from me!”

Without warning, the daemon used its tail to swing Noctis across the other side of the room. So much for an intelligent daemon. In the end, it still led to a fight to the death. It was hard getting close to the serpent daemon. Everytime they got close enough, the daemon would turn its tail and clear its surrounding areas. Astra recalled her memories and identified the daemon as a Naga— weak to ice, daggers, and greatswords. It appeared Ignis already knew this since he was already attacking the daemon with ice infused daggers; Astra did the same. As the battle ensued, Astra noticed the absence of two individuals: Noctis and Prompto. She tried to look for them as she kept the Naga busy, but they were nowhere to be found.

“Where’s Noctis and Prompto?” asked Astra as she dodged the Naga’s tail.

Ignis searched his surroundings, and his eyes widened at the sight behind Astra, “Look behind you!”

Astra immediately made sure not to take another step backwards and turned around, expecting yet another daemon to attack, but nothing appeared. There was nothing there but darkness and…a croaking sound? Astra looked down to her feet and found a small toad, attempting to catch her attention by hitting her feet. In disbelief, she picked up the toad and observed it closely.

“Is this one Prompto or Little Noct?” Astra couldn’t help the smile that grew on her face. “I hope this is Noctis.”

A puff of green smoke appeared not too far away, and from it, Noctis appeared in his human form, “That’d be Prompto.”

“I’m never letting this go,” she told her brother in a teasing tone.

The hand that carried Toad Prompto suddenly felt heavier, and Astra used her other hand to handle the extra weight. Like earlier, a puff of green smoke appeared, and Prompto appeared in Astra’s arms. He appeared confused and embarrassed to find himself being carried bridal style and held his hands together at his chest. Astra smiled nervously and set the blonde down awkwardly, “Good as new.”

The Naga slithered between the two and brought their attention back to the present fight. Astra ran to attack the daemon as Prompto covered her from behind. The teamwork amongst the five had become better. Guess that’s what fighting a god does to a team. They each knew what role to play and did their best. It would soon be over. A path was cleared and with the daemon’s attention drawn elsewhere, Gladio was able to land the final fatal hit that sent the Naga back into the gallows. 

The Naga slowly began to fade from existence, “Bring back…my baby.”

It was gone. No remains were left behind. It was as if it never existed. The only remnants of the daemon were the cuts and bruises on their bodies, and the memories of battle. A part of Astra felt sad somehow. It was odd for a daemon to show a maternal instinct. Astra didn’t understand how that was possible. How were daemons even created? Were they born or created? But in the end, did it really matter? As long as a daemon was a daemon, Astra would have to kill it. When Astra looked back up, she found that the cave they were in had once again many paths to choose from. 

Noctis sighed at the sight of them, “At this rate, we’ll be here all day.”

Astra tried to peer into every path as if she could determine what lay ahead, but they all looked the same— like a dead end. A soft wind blew into her face and called her attention. Her gaze followed the direction from which the wind blew from. She closed her eyes, taking in a deep breath, and opened them once again. Her heart skipped a beat the moment she saw Etro appearing beside one of the paths. Motioning to the path the wind came from, Etro smiled and bowed her head as she disappeared from Astra’s sight once more.

“This way,” said Astra as she marched towards the path Etro showed her. 

“How do you know it’s this one?” asked Noctis, following his sister either way.

“A hunch.”

They all followed Astra without question. The path was narrow and a tight fit. Sometimes they had to duck and squeeze through— something that proved to be annoying to Gladio. It was dark, and for a moment, Astra began to think Etro had led them the wrong way and that she now looked like a fool. Just at that moment, a light appeared in the distance. As they grew closer, they found that it was an opening in the cave’s roof that allowed light to shine onto a crystalized tree. They inched forward, and Noctis stepped ahead of everyone else, once again reaching out to the crystalized tree as he had done before. 

This time, the crystalized tree began to pulse and lightning struck down to hit the tree. The magical energy seeped into Noctis as sparks and lightning reached out around him. The lightning from the crystalized tree touched every corner of the room, and somehow avoided the rest of them. Entranced by the light, Astra reached forward to touch the lightning. She expected it to hurt or sting, but it felt warm instead and even tickled. Touching the lightning wasn’t where the problem occurred; it was when she let go. That’s when it hurt, stung, and even burned. Images flashed into her mind— images of Luna, Nyx, Etro, the Six, her dad, and finally herself. It didn’t last more than a few seconds, but the images burned themselves into her memory.

“You alright?” asked Prompto, noticing Astra appeared harmed from the lightning.

He looked into her eyes which appeared lost and worried, but that wasn’t why Prompto found himself staring. Her eyes had changed color; they appeared a light purple. It didn’t last long. Astra blinked and the color of her eyes returned to normal. It appeared not even Astra had been aware of the change within her, and Prompto began to wonder if what he saw was just the lightning reflecting in her eyes.

“I’m good,” answered Astra. 

Astra turned her attention back to Noctis. She didn’t want Prompto to think something was wrong because honestly, Astra didn’t even know if it was herself. After absorbing the magical energy from the crystalized tree, Noctis turned back around. His eyes glowed red, and the magical energy made his veins glow a bright red color too. It soon died out, and Noctis’ appearance returned to normal. His change wasn’t something to worry about. Sudden intake of magical energy, including divine, was expected to have that effect.

“This is it,” said Noctis, looking at his hand. “The power of the storm.”

Prompto chimed in, “Eh, I was honestly expecting more fire and brimstone.”

“Some gods are friendlier than others, I guess,” reasoned Gladio as they all began to make their way back out the cave system.

“Not all of them, though,” said Ignis.

Noctis couldn’t help but sigh, “Poor Luna.”

Astra placed her arm around Noctis’ shoulders with a smile, “You got a lot to make up, soon-not-to-be-bachelor.”

Noctis pushed Astra’s arm off him and stomped ahead, “I know that.”

“Yeah, lose the scowl by then,” added Gladio.

“You guys are having fun with this, aren’t you?”

Asta and Gladio answered in unison, “Duh.”

Noctis rolled his eyes and continued walking without looking back, leaving everyone else behind. They were overjoyed to know that their current journey would lead them out the cold cave system, but truth be told, they did get lost a few times on the way out. Nonetheless, they didn’t lose heart, knowing that if they were able to brave into the cave, they’d be able to brave their way out. And they did. When they finally left the dungeon’s caves, the sun was out and shining, welcoming the five with open arms of warmth. There was no rain or thunder. The storm had passed. 

“Hey! It stopped raining,” sang Prompto as he looked up to the clear, blue sky.

Astra joined Prompto and basked in the sun’s warmth, “I seriously take that big ball of fire for granted—”

A loud blowing sound echoed above them. Astra opened her eyes to see a grand and enormous airship fly above them. She could feel her ears pop.

“It’s huge!” pointed out Gladio.

“And no omen of good news,” said Astra.

A sound rang, and Noctis reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone, “Yeah.”

Astra stuck her ear on the other side of Noctis’ phone to hear the conversation. Annoyed, Noctis pulled away, but Astra pulled him back to her and made herself comfortable.

“Hey,Highness. About your car,” said a familiar voice in a sweet accent; it was Cindy. “Well, I found her, but…she’s at a base. An imperial one.”

Astra stood back and rolled her eyes with a sigh. Of course, the empire had it. It was always the empire this and the empire that. At this point, they felt more like an annoyance than an enemy. Astra could no longer listen to the conversation Noctis was having with Cindy. He mainly answered with “yeah.”

“Don’t worry about it. We’ll figure it out.” There was a pause, and then Noctis spoke again dryly. “Yeah, thanks for the heads up. Later.”

“Who was that?” asked Gladio as soon as Noctis hung up.

“What? You can’t talk to her like that!” argued Prompto.

Astra agreed with him. Cindy had done so much for them, yet Noctis remained as stiff as ever. However, hearing Prompto say it himself so strongly made Astra feel unpleasant .

“Did she have any updates?” asked Ignis.

Noctis nodded, “The Regalia is at an imperial base.”

“That explains your reaction,” said Gladio to Astra. “That just leaves us one question: when do we go get her?”

“Now.”

Noctis walked away without saying another word. Astra could already think Noctis thought himself cool at that moment. She thought about teasing him, but she honestly didn’t have the energy for that. There was a lot going on at the moment inside and outside of her head, but there was only one thing that caught her attention the most. Astra could now see Etro everywhere she went like her personal haunting ghost.

Chapter Text

“It’s some kind of fortress,” observed Noctis.

The gang stood outside the newly arrived imperial base. Its walls were fortified, and the main gate remained well guarded with imperial forces. There was a red light beaming into the sky from inside the base. It created a sort of mist or red fog that lingered around the base and its surroundings.

“A port-a-fortress,” said Gladio. “Those walls don’t look so portable, though.”

Ignis fixed his glasses, “They are remnants of the Old Wall. With the empire’s added protection, entry will not be easy.”

“What’s with the red mist though?” asked Noctis, attempting to grasp the wind.

“It’s a generator. Powers the imperial’s tech,” answered Astra, observing the patrolling guards.

“And boosts their strength, if I’m correct,” added Ignis. “I say we wait until nightfall.”

Prompto could barely contain himself, “A covert mission! I always wanted to do one!”

Across the base was a strip of forest in which the gang set up camp. They’d been up for more than 24 hours. The sun hadn’t even begun to set, and they already wanted to sleep. But they couldn’t. At night, once the moon was set on high, they would infiltrate the base and get back the Regalia. Until then, they had to stay up to determine their strategy. Ignis cooked them a meal which everyone ate in between yawns as they discussed their plans. They all sat together around the campfire. The air slowly became cooler as the sun slowly began to inch to the horizon.

“So we use the darkness to our advantage?” asked Prompto. “Feels weird saying that.”

“Essentially,” answered Ignis. “It’s the only way to keep the entire base from attacking us all at once.”

“You do any covert ops?” Gladio asked Astra.

Astra swallowed the food in her mouth, “A few. They kept me in the spotlight most of the time. Enemy attacks would always increase wherever I was stationed, but it made it easier for others to flank them and catch them off guard.”

“Just say it’s cause you would always mess them up,” teased Noctis.

“My skill set is perfectly catered for covert ops,” argued Astra, obviously offended. “I am quick and nimble—”

Ignis coughed, interrupting the conversation, and stood up from his seat. “Anyways. I’ll analyze whatever intelligence we have and learn more about the base’s to narrow down the Regalia’s location.”

Looking straight at Noctis as she stood up to follow Ignis, Astra boasted with a smile, “I’ll go with since I have some experience in that field.”

It had been long since the moon had vanished beneath the horizon. The moon shone down to the land with its cool light, and the stars twinkled in the sky. The gang awaited to infiltrate the imperial base. Ignis and Astra had spotted an incoming shipment and decided that would be their best chance at getting in without alerting the entire base. The stars were on their side. 

“We must avoid detection at all costs,” whispered Ignis as flashing lights from the base surveyed their surroundings.

“In and out before it gets light then,” said Gladio.

“Exactly. Come daybreak, we must withdraw even if it means leaving our task unfinished.”

Prompto’s eyes counted the number of MTs and panic began to set in, “Guns probably aren’t the weapon of choice for this, is it?”

Astra reached into her jacket and took out Nyx’s kukri. She placed the kukri into his hand while the blonde only stared at her with wide eyes. “Use this,” she said.

“Are— Are you sure? Isn’t this special?” asked Prompto, unsure he could be trusted.

Astra’s hand returned to her after leaving the kukri, “I trust you. I’m sure you know how to use it, right?”

There was complete confidence and trust in Astra’s eyes, and it was all directed toward Prompto. The last time Astra looked at Prompto like that was some time back at his Crownsguard initiation ceremony. It was a night he would never forget, and more than anything, he could never forget the Astra of that day. She looked at him the same way she did that day— with trust, confidence, and pride. Prompto held onto the kukri, feeling the sudden weight of her trust.

“You might not have to use it, though,” added Astra. “Little Noct and I will make sure to clear the way since we can warp without detection.”

“Don’t call me that,” whined Noctis as he retreated from his cover. 

“On my signal.” Ignis inched closer to the main gate, using the random trailers as cover while everyone followed. Noctis and Astra waited patiently and telepathically marked their respective target. “Three…two…one.”

Within a flash, Noctis and Astra warped towards their target and took them down silently without alerting the nearby enemies. There were a few more, but Noctis and Astra quickly disposed of them. Astra checked their surroundings one last time, making sure the coast was clear, and then motioned for the rest to follow them through the base’s open doors. Quietly and rather slowly, Astra and Noctis led everyone else inside. Since the empire had just begun to settle in there were large shipments scattered around perfect for cover. The base appeared to be divided into sections. There were gates that allowed transit between every section, but it was best to not open them when they didn’t know what lay on the other side. Astra moved along the cover the empire had provided but noticed that Noctis was about to walk into the open and straight into a search light. Ignis quickly pulled him back with the rest of them under cover and pointed to the searchlights. 

“We must avoid the searchlights,” informed Ignis. “Tread warily.”

Suddenly the gate doors the first section of the base, and a magitek mech came stomping out. They were directly in front of it, but thanks to the cover, the magitek mech couldn’t see them. Behind the mech and further into the newly opened section of the base, more mechs and MTs patrolled the section. 

“There’s way more than I thought there’d be,” admitted Astra.

“We do not want to mess with one of those,” whispered Gladio.

“If we stick to the shadows, we won’t,” responded Ignis. “It’s best we avoid this section.”

Ignis led the group further into the base as Noctis followed closely behind. Astra tasked herself with guarding their rear and followed them behind Gladio. Noctis was tasked with continuing his assassin spree and made sure to clear the path for the rest of them; Astra assisted with her daggers but remained at her post, guarding their rear and leaving most of the work to Noctis. With the path cleared, the gang made their way to a gate and noticed the other side appeared to not have patrolling guards. Noctis jammed his sword where a key would usually go and the gate opened. From there, they were able to get a closer look at the empire’s beaming generator even if it was from afar.

“That’s the generator?” asked Noctis.

Gladio cracked his knuckles, “I say we wreck it, and spare us the sneaking around.”

“The risk is too great. Our priority is the Regalia,” answered Ignis.

Astra slapped Gladio’s shoulder and teased, “Not your forte, big guy?”

Gladio ignored Astra’s teasing and just ruffled her hair. The journey continued, and Noctis was back at playing assassin. Astra could see Noctis slowly get the hang of it and excel in his stealth takedowns. There was nothing for her to do or clean up after. Noctis was the one doing all the work now, but that didn’t mean they could drop their guard. They were literally in enemy territory after all. Noctis forced one last gate to open and lo and behold, the Regalia awaited them with all her glory. There were no other guards patrolling the car, and so they took the opportunity to run to her and finish their mission. 

“None the worse for wear for her time in imperial hands,” said Ignis, preparing to jump into the driver’s seat.

There was something off about the whole situation. There’s no way that the empire didn’t know that the Regalia belonged to them. Then, it’d be obvious they’d come for their only ride. So, why? Why was this all easy? Astra slowly made her way towards the Regalia, hoping her worries were misplaced, but they often weren’t. Before Ignis could even open the driver’s door, a magitek mech appeared, ready to take aim and fire. It was in moments like these that Astra hated being right. With their own weapon in hand, they prepared for battle. Due to the empire’s generator, this mech was tougher than most, but it still kept the same weaknesses. The real headache with mechs is all about their heat-targeting missiles. Having already worked up his strength from earlier, Noctis dealt the finishing blow to the mech, but MTs poured out from their hiding spots and began attacking.

“Of course, it wouldn’t be this easy,” said Noctis with a sigh. “It’s never easy.”

“Quit your whining, and start fighting,” lectured Gladio as he swung his greatsword.

“Blow the tanks up. They’ll take out the enemies,” said Ignis with an intimidating grin. “Let them do the work for us.”

Astra forgot how scary Ignis could be when he was tired and did as told. There were turrets positioned nearby. Noctis and Astra warped towards them and began following Ignis’ orders. Turrets were hard to aim with since they were heavy weapons which meant Astra struggled a little more than Noctis who was used to fighting with such weapons, but still, Astra was able to put in enough strength to blow the tanks up and the surrounding MTs. 

The front of the turrets were shielded, but it wasn’t enough to provide the complete cover they needed. Astra could feel the MTs bullets hit the turret itself; they would have hit her too if she didn’t duck. Instead, she was left with a few burning grazes from the stray bullets. The grunts and inhumane sounds from their friends and the MTs could still be heard over the turret, and then suddenly, only the turret could be heard. Both Astra and Noctis set down the heavy weapon and peeked out from the shielded turret. The bodies of fallen MTs were scattered across the ground, and only Ignis, Gladio, and Prompto remained alive, standing. Astra and Noctis warped back to their friends who had clearly seen better days.

“We should take out the generator,” said Astra.

“Just what I was thinking,” agreed Ignis. “Doing so might weaken the MTs.”

Noctis rubbed some warmth into his hands, “No more stealth, and here I was doing so good.”

“The sun should be rising any minute now, so it’s not like it’ll do us much good,” said Astra.

“And our cover’s blown.” Ignis cracked his neck. His eyes were half-closed, but the quiet anger was clearly seen in them. “Go to town.”

Not only did MTs attack them every way they turned, but the base itself felt like a clustered maze. Gladio even tore down part of a fence, creating a shortcut, to avoid any more headaches. The night sky began to lighten into a pink shade. The sun was rising, meaning time was running out. They pushed through the hordes of enemies and finally made it to the generator. And of course, even more MTs poured out and an intimidating mech followed close behind. 

“We’ll handle this,” yelled Astra to Noctis. “You take the generator!”

Noctis nodded and warped away and past the enemies. Astra did what she was good at since her time on the frontlines and made sure to keep the enemies’ attention on her and her friends. As she cut down a few MTs, Astra felt the burning impact of being hit by a missile that exploded at her feet. Next thing she knew, she was on the ground. Her vision was blurry, and her ears were ringing. The pounding of her heart in her chest felt unfamiliar. She looked past the mech that prepared for its next attack and looked to Noctis. He was fighting off a few stray MTs that had caught him where he shouldn’t have been. Etro appeared in the middle of the battle, standing still as the battle raged around her. Astra didn’t know why she kept appearing in the most random places, but that wasn’t a question she needed answered now. What Astra needed to do was get up.

Astra felt a pair of hands reach out to her and help her up. Ignis cupped the back of her head and spoke to her, but the ringing in Astra’s ear didn’t let her understand him. She closed her eyes and did her best to focus and will the ringing away. When she opened her eyes again, the ringing in her ear faded and Ignis’ distant mumbling turned into intelligible words.

“Astra!” yelled Ignis. “Are you alright? Do you need to—”

“I’m fine,” answered Astra, attempting to settle Ignis’ worries. “I’m fine. I can still fight.”

She didn’t lie. Ignis nodded his head, not entirely believing her words, and Astra couldn’t blame him. The last time she had any sort of decent rest was right after their battle with Titan when she passed from mental and physical exhaustion, but Astra was more than capable of pulling herself together long enough. 

“Hey, big guy!” Astra yelled, and Gladio turned to look at her. “You wanted to wreck the generator, right? Go help Little Noct!”

With the additional help, Noctis should have no problem dealing with the generator now that he had Gladio to keep the MTs off his back. That left Ignis, Prompto, and Astra to deal with the other MTs and mech alone. Astra summoned her polearm into her hand and set her eyes on her target. She warped towards the mech and jammed at the spot where the mech’s weapons met with the rest of its body. Balancing herself on the mech itself, Astra pulled her polearm and tore off the mech’s weapon. The sudden loss of weight made the mech lose its balance, and it fell to its side. They focused their attacks on its legs to ensure it wouldn’t get back up. 

A small explosion erupted from where Noctis and Gladio were, and Astra could see the destroyed generator, laying on the ground. A celebration could wait. The mech stood back up before they were able to destroy its leg, and it shot missiles towards the three. Dodge after dodge, hit after hit— they were slowly wearing the mech down, but Astra wasn’t sure if they’d make it. They were sleep deprived and still recovering from the fight with Titan. It looked like Astra would have to push her limits once more when suddenly small balls of light began to float around. 

She thought only she could see it but noticed that Noctis was also looking around confused. He fell to one knee, appearing to be in pain. Astra was reaching for him when a shadow appeared over them. She held her breath at the sight of the looming figure. It was a giant seemingly old man; he looked like a wizard with a long white beard and a staff. It was Ramuh, the Fulgurian. The old wizard appeared to be floating, and his glowing yellow eyes stared at Noctis as he reached out and picked him up. Astra didn’t know what was going on but readied herself to fight him to get her brother back. But a hand held her back. She turned to look, expecting to see Ignis or Prompto, but it was Etro instead. 

Astra looked back up to the sky where Ramuh abided in. The old god raised his staff that began to glow, and she could feel chills run throughout her body. Her eyes widened at the realization that hers and everyone else’s hair was standing. She slipped out of Etro’s grasp and raised a shield to protect herself and her other friends but Ramuh’s  bolt of lightning struck the ground before she had the chance to summon her shield. Ramuh’s staff embedded itself into the ground, and from it lightning shot out, striking down all enemies that remained. Ignis, Gladio, Prompto, and Astra remained unharmed and watched as their enemies crumbled around them. Ramuh’s staff slowly faded from existence, and the god set Noctis back down with his friends. Astra looked back and found that Etro was still there. The mysterious goddess proudly smiled at Astra as if to boast that “This is what makes us gods” and then disappeared.

“So this is the might of the gods,” muttered Noctis, staring up to the sky that Ramuh no longer appeared in.

Prompto’s eyes had remained wide open throughout the entire spectacle, “That. Was. Hardcore.”

“Gods truly are a force to be reckoned with,” added Ignis.

“Come on. Let’s grab the Regalia and split.” Already walking away, Gladio appeared to remain indifferent to the grand show of power displayed, but Astra knew that he too was amazed. “We don’t want to overstay our welcome.”

“We dealt a crushing blow to the empire today,” said Ignis as they all began to peacefully stroll their way back to the Regalia. “The Marshall will be pleased to hear about this.”

Thinking of Cor made Astra feel nostalgic, “I wonder what that old man’s been up to—”

“Bust-a-base! That’s what I’m calling this,” sang Prompto. “We go in and bust it up. Bust-a-base!”

If silence could speak.

“What? It’s a good name,” argued Prompto.

“Why not go for something cooler,” said Gladio.

Ignis cleaned his glasses and stretched his neck, “Seems a bit flippant.”

“Yeah, I’m not calling it that,” added Noctis.

Even with no one agreeing with him, Prompto remained persistent and loyal, “Astra, what do you think?”

She was hoping he wouldn’t ask. Normally, Astra would at least smile to soften the blow, but she was far too tired to do even that. She resigned herself to silence and avoided eye-contact with Prompto. The guys laughed at her response while Prompto appeared betrayed.

“Not you too,” whined Prompto. “Whatever. I’m calling it that. You don’t have to if you don’t want to.”

“Trust me, I won’t,” said Noctis without hesitation.

They shared a few more laughs as Gladio and Noctis continued to tease Prompto. Maybe it was because they were no longer being sought after and attacked, but the stroll to the Regalia felt rather short. Everyone breathed a collective sigh of relief at the sight of the car. Astra could already feel her body relax at the mere sigh of the Regalia. She reached for the door handle when she noticed Prompto looking back. This was obviously not good news.

“Guys,” warned Prompto in a whisper.

They all turned to look. A familiar, tall man white light blonde hair appeared. He wore a long white coat with black lining. His left arm appeared to be covered in metal armor, but as the figure approached, she realized it was actually a magitek prosthetic. His eyes were heterochromatic, one blue and one purple. The shade of his purple eye reminded her of Etro, but there was no way this man could be related to the mysterious goddess in any way. Astra knew the man to be ruthless and selfish. He was a power-hungry prince from a distant kingdom. He too had been there the day Astra’s world fell apart. He was there when the Walls fell, and her father died. She stared into his eyes and even shook his hand. He was  her friend . And now, Astra wanted nothing more than to grant him his well-deserved death. 

“Long has it been, Noctis,” spoke the man in a bitter tone.

It was obvious Noctis recognized the man just as Astra did, but it appeared he had a harder time believing it. Or maybe he didn’t want to think it was true.

“Ravus.”

Chapter Text

“Ravus,” said Noctis.

The man that stood before them was Ravus Nox Fleuret, older brother of Luna and prince of Tenebrae. Nowadays, people better know him as High Commander of the Imperial army. He was part of the imperial delegation brought into the Crown City for the signing of the treaty. The last time Astra saw him was in the treaty room as she warped away to secure Luna, abandoning her father. He didn’t have his prosthetic arm or purple eye then.

Ravus held his sword with his right arm as he approached the group. Astra was behind everyone and nearest to the car. To get close to him, she’d have to quietly and slowly work her way forward whilst he remained distracted with Noctis. Ever since the tragedy of Tenebrae, Ravus had hated the royal family of Lucis, including Astra. A part of Astra couldn’t blame him, but she also couldn’t understand how he’d side with his mother’s murderers.

“You receive the Storm’s blessing.” Ravus spoke in a cold tone as he raised his sword to Noctis’ throat. “And yet, you know nothing of the consequences.”

Ravus stepped forward, closing the distance between his sword and Noctis’ throat. Noctis slowly backed up as Astra slowly inched forward. Any sudden movement could spell disaster.

Gladio stepped forward, ready to place himself between Ravus and Noctis,“Watch it—”

Ravus left Noctis and positioned his blade at Gladio’s throat without hesitation to keep him away. Ignis readied his hand for an attack, but Ravus quickly raised a hand towards Ignis and spoke, “Be still. All of you.”

“Heir to a crown befitting no other. Witness his splendor and glory,” said Ravus to Noctis in a clear mocking tone. “All hail the Chosen King.”

Noctis was never the type to keep his mouth shut, “Awfully high and mighty for an imperial rat, serving the enemy to hunt down Luna.”

Within the blink of an eye, Ravus rushed forward and grasped at Noctis’ throat with his prosthetic arm, lifting him up to stand on his toes. “I do not serve ,” yelled Ravus. “I command !”

Ravus pushed Noctis back as he released him. Gladio took the opportunity to finally stand between Noctis and Ravus as Prompto ensured Noctis’ safety. Ravus observed the man that would be so bold and confident to stand before him. The prince’s gaze felt conniving and mocking on Gladio, but Gladio wouldn’t back down.

“The king’s sworn shield,” said Ravus, finally realizing who Gladio was.

“You’re damn right I am,” answered Gladio.

Ravus smirked as he raised his sword, “A weak shield protects naught.”

Ravus swung his sword to strike Gladio down, but Gladio quickly summoned his greatsword and blocked what would have been a fatal attack, using both his hands to hold up his weapon. Despite being a thin sword and nothing compared to a greatsword, Ravus pushed down on Gladio, using a single hand, and Gladio's knees slowly began to bend underneath the pressure. Suddenly using his sword to push the greatsword aside, Ravus took the opportunity to hit an exposed Gladio with the hilt of his sword. Gladio was sent flying back into the Regalia which shook upon impact. Prompto rushed to Gladio’s side. Ravus had done no real harm to their friend; all he did was wound his ego. But Astra fell still as she watched her old friend struggle to get back on his feet.

“You wanna go?” Enraged, Noctis summoned his Royal Arms as a show of power. “Let’s go!”

Ravus remained indifferent, “It’s far too early for the Chosen to fall—”

The High Commander suddenly went flying back before he could finish. Ravus’ sword penetrated the concrete ground in an attempt to slow him down and avoid further harm. He stood up and looked at his attacker. The dust settled, and at the forefront of the group, he could see Astra, standing still and waiting with her polearm in hand.

“Astra,” said Ravus in an almost longing and sorrowful way. “I was wondering when you’d make your move. You’ve gotten stronger—”

“Don’t patronize me,” interrupted Astra frigidly.

Ravus slowly walked back toward the group, sheathing his sword. No one else moved. Not even Astra. They watched as Ravus approached Astra who had no intention of putting her weapon away. The scowl on her face reminded the others of her encounter with Ardyn and feared that a similar event might happen.

“Long has it been since we’ve last talked,” remarked Ravus.

“Ah,” smiled Astra bitterly, recalling the event only she and Ravus seemed to know about. “Are you talking about the time you literally stabbed me in the back?”

Flinching at the sound of her words, Ravus spoke gently with a look of regret, “Hurting you wasn’t something I wanted.”

“The scar on my back says otherwise.”

Ravus stepped forward, searching for the right words to say, but there were none. Then sensing a presence, the High Commander turned to find his superior approaching: Chancellor Ardyn. Everyone else turned to look. Astra tightened her grip on her weapon at the sight of the man but remained still, having learned from her last encounter with him. 

“This is rather awkward,” strolled in Ardyn. “I’m sure this was a long-awaited fateful encounter between an old fiancé and fiancée , but I say that’s far enough for now.”

Ignoring the random piece of information he dropped, Ardyn approached the group with his usual flamboyant smile. Ravus’ brows furrowed into a frown at the sigh of the Chancellor and turned away to avoid looking at him. It was obvious that Ardyn set his sights on approaching Astra despite their last meeting, and now they all worried even more at what could possibly happen. Dissipating his Royal Arms, Noctis stepped in front of Astra and ensured that Ardyn wouldn’t come any closer. He didn’t ask Astra to put her polearm away, and he didn’t want to. Should the worst come to happen, Astra would be there, ready to have her brother’s back like always.

“A hand, Highness?” offered Ardyn, standing before Noctis.

“Not from you,” answered Noctis without hesitation.

“Oh, but I’m here to help.”

Ignis didn’t buy it, “And how’s that?”

“By taking the army away,” said Ardyn as if it were the obvious solution.

“You expect us to buy that?” asked Gladio, standing beside Astra.

“You set up shop, and pack your bags at the first taste of trouble? That doesn’t sound very imperial,” managed to say Astra, glaring at Ardyn past Noctis. “Unless…”

The air felt tense. All eyes were on Astra who held onto her polearm as if her life depended on it. The events of what happened not too long obviously replaid themselves in Ardyn’s memory, and a disgustingly fond grin grew on his face. He could see the thoughts that ran behind Astra’s eyes. The fact that she could understand his thought process so well unnerved Astra; it made her think back to the conversation they had the night they celebrated the treaty between Nifleheim and Lucis— how Ardyn had told Astra that he and her were more alike than she realized. She was slowly beginning to fear he might be right. Everytime it felt like she finally had the upper hand and was able to figure him out, it felt like it was all under his plan and that he allowed for it to happen. It's what she would do. 

“You set up bases and blockades for what? To prove a point?” As she spoke and racked her brain for possibilities, Astra finally realized what the purpose of Nifleheim’s military presence was for. Ardyn smiled even more sinisterly  once he noticed the realization in her eyes. Astra didn’t know what to say or do in front of such a man. “You disgust me.”

“When we meet again, it will be across the sea.” Ardyn ignored Astra and turned his attention back to Noctis. “It just so happens we also have business to do with the tutelary deity. Don’t we?”

Ravus’ head turned at the sound of Ardyn’s question but didn’t answer. The imperial High Commander instead chose to bow slightly towards Astra before walking away, sparing no words. Having been ignored, Ardyn also prepared to exit.

“Fare thee well, Your Majesties,” said Ardyn as he tipped his hat. “And safe travels.”

No one said a word until Ardyn and Ravus were completely out of hearing range; even then, they couldn’t relax. Astra dematerialized her polearm and stretched her hand as she massaged it with her other hand; it felt stiff and hot. Gladio rubbed his chest, still feeling the lingering pain from where Ravus hit him. 

“You guys…know that guy?” asked Prompto, looking at Noctis and Astra.

Ignis answered, “Ravus Nox Fleuret, first son of Tenebrae and elder brother to Lady Lunafreya.”

Prompto looked at Astra whose gaze lingered on the horizon Ravus and Ardyn disappeared into. It wasn’t only him. Noctis also looked at his sister, hoping for some sort of comment of comfort. But Astra couldn’t do that. It had taken everything from her not to strike the two imperials where they stood. Talking about the past and opening old wounds wasn’t something she could take.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” said Astra, turning towards Noctis, whom she felt was staring at her back.

“What was he talking about?” asked Noctis. “About hurting you? And stabbing you—”

“I said I don’t want to talk about it.”

Astra’s tone was firm and serious. She looked mad, but Noctis knew better. He knew that it was just an effort to hide her sadness— a sadness Ravus most likely caused her. The princess pushed past her brother and the rest, making her way to the car and situating herself in the shotgun seat. Reluctantly, Ignis and the rest followed, finding their seats. Astra didn’t say much after, but Noctis could tell that the breeze from the wind seemed to calm her as she allowed herself to rest her eyes and relax her body. They headed directly for Lestallum. They left the battle with Titan with the mere clothes on their back and their lives intact, and they were thankful that they’d be able to return with the same. Surprising everyone, Ardyn had kept his word. The imperial blockades which impeded travel outside of Leide had been lifted. Gladio would soon be able to see his little sister who had been ignoring his phone calls. 

“I’m gonna give her a real piece of my mind when I see her,” said Gladio with a brotherly smile.

“Go easy on her. Iris has a lot on her plate,” pleaded Astra.

Noctis turned to Prompto who sat between him and Gladio since Astra took his seat. The usual chatty blond hadn’t said much which surprised Noctis. He knew Prompto. They were best friends. He could tell when he was falling head over heels over a certain princess and when something was bothering him. Noctis nudged his childhood friend with his shoulder, “What’s up with you? You’ve barely said a word since we got in the car.”

Prompto fiddled with his fingers, stealing glances at Astra who had turned to look at him and her brother, “It’s Ravus. I just…don’t get him.”

“How even a son of Tenebrae can rise to the top?” asked Gladio.

Without taking his eyes off the road, Ignis joined the conversation, “Wartime makes for quick promotions.”

“That is true,” added Astra, clearly referencing herself.

“But why would he want to lead their army?” continued Prompto.

“Does it matter?” Noctis asked firmly. “If he wants a taste of power, I’ll give it to him.”

“Don’t be too trigger happy. He has more experience than all of us put together.” Astra leaned her head back on her seat, looking up at the clear sky. Her mind wandered and recalled memories of the past. She thought of Ravus, but more specifically about the difference in his current and past appearance. “I wonder what happened to him. His arm’s a prosthetic, and his eye…”

“They weren’t always heterochromatic?” asked Ignis with interest.

Astra shook her head, still looking up at the sky, “I saw him at the signing of the peace treaty. He still had both arms, and his eyes were both a grayish blue.”

“About Ravus and you…” Prompto’s voice died off as he rubbed the back of his head, regretting having ever opened his mouth. But, Prompto was the type to see things through to the end even if he didn’t want to. “Were you two…really…”

Astra burst out laughing before Prompto could finish his sentence. She bent over, and held onto her side. It caught everyone off guard, Noctis included, but it somehow seemed to raise her spirits. Looking back to Prompto, Astra wiped a tear from her eye with a smile as she shook her head, “Ravus and I were never engaged.”

“That was your big question?” asked Noctis to Prompto, unable to help the smile on his face. Suddenly, a bright idea occurred, and he wasn’t able to pass up the opportunity to tease his best friend. “Although, they were going to.” Noctis could feel Prompto’s body stiffen at his sudden revelation.

“That part is true,” admitted Astra. “A union of the two families would further strengthen our alliance. Ravus was the crown prince of Tenebrae, and I was the firstborn princess of Lucis.”

“But-But he looked…” Prompto raced through his mind to find a sudden fault in Ravus. He couldn’t find one. “Old?”

Gladio scoffed, “Isn’t the High Commander 28? That’s his prime.”

“Well, his prime does not look good,” argued Prompto.

Laughter filled the car. Prompto appeared still embarrassed from the observation but let the laughter of everyone carry it away and into the wind. Noctis whispered something into Prompto’s ear that made him hit him, but neither revealed what was said. They arrived at Lestallum safe and sound. Astra already longed for the comfortable beds of the Leville, but that could wait. They had to check in with everyone first and give them an update on their situation. Ignis parked the car, and they strolled their way into town. It was quieter than usual. There wasn’t any music playing from every other stall as it was before, and there were no kids playing in the streets or plaza. As the group made their way to the Leville, they found eyes following them. 

Looking around, Prompto spoke first, “Is it just me or does something feel—”

“Wrong?” finished Gladio.

A certain combination of red and white caught Astra’s eye. There were flags scattered all over town with a red line and a familiar golden symbol, “The flag.”

“Nifleheim,” said Ignis, confirming Astra’s suspicions.

“That little boy wouldn’t stop crying about his grandpa,” whispered two women to themselves.

Astra wasn’t the only one who overheard them. By the time she looked over to Noctis, she found that he was already running to Leville, and without hesitation, they followed. Iris was sitting in the hotel’s lounge area. Her eyes were red and puffy, and she was biting on her thumb’s nail. At the sight of them, Iris stood up as a smile appeared on her face. It was short-lived, and her bright smile dimmed into a sorrowful look. 

“Oh, Gladdy,” moaned Iris, as Gladio approached her to comfort her. “I let you down. The empire came while you were gone and…”

The heavy gaze from the staff and clients of the hotel followed Iris and the entire group. Ignis placed a hand on Gladio’s arm, and Gladio quickly received the message. He guided Iris and the rest of them up the stairs and into the room they’d been using before. Astra ensured the door was shut and the windows were closed. 

“None of us said a word. Not about Noct or Astra,” said Iris as she sat down. “And then Jared…”

No one wanted to ask, but Gladio did anyways, “What do you mean? What happened to Jared?”

“There was nothing we could do!” cried Iris.

No one said a word. The sudden news felt too shocking, but death was always abrupt. No matter how many died, Astra could never get used to it. Jared Hester, a loyal servant who dedicated his long life to House Amicitia and the Crown , was gone— No. He was murdered. The shut door slowly creaked open. Everyone turned to look to find a young boy crying: Talcott, Jared’s grandson. He had the bravery to push the door open but could not bring himself to walk inside and look at their faces. Noticing his hesitation, Noctis walked over to the boy. 

Kneeling down to his eye-level, Noctis spoke gently, “It’s not right. We should’ve been there.”

“I… I couldn’t stop them,” cried Talcott as Astra stood behind Noctis.

“I won’t let the empire get away with it. They’ll pay for what they’ve done,” assured Noctis. “I promise.”

Jared wiped his tears and brought his eyes to meet Noctis’, “I trust you, Prince Noctis.”

Not crying anymore, the young boy left, and Noctis returned to the room, closing the door behind him. All attention returned to Iris who had also calmed her tearful eyes. Her gaze was strong and resilient, “I’m taking Talcott, and we’re going to Caem.” But her voice wavered with the pain that threatened to overtake her. “We can’t just stay and do nothing.”

“I understand,” answered Noctis.

And he did. He knew what it felt like being helpless to save those closest to you. He knew what it felt like being able to do nothing but move on even when it felt like the pain was the only thing you had left. He understood, and he wanted to make sure no one else ever would.

Chapter Text

It was one of those nights. Iris slept peacefully, but Astra couldn't relate. She was able to get enough shut-eye to be able to dream about Etro, but nothing happened. The mysterious goddess didn’t do anything but hold Astra’s hand. It wasn’t an unwelcome action. Her touch was comforting, making Astra wonder if that’s how a mother’s touch felt like. Astra couldn’t remember the last time she was held by her late mother. The dream was cut short when distant crying echoed into Astra’s dream, waking her. At first, she thought it was Iris but noticed the young girl remained sleeping.

Following the crying sound, Astra left her room. The second floor of the Leville had a small balcony area with tables and seats that served as a lounge area. The doors typically remained closed at night, but they were open. Astra approached the balcony and saw a small figure huddled in a corner, holding onto his knees as his tears continued to fall. She approached the young boy who still hadn’t sensed her presence and sat on the ground next to him, brushing her arm against his. The boy finally looked up at her, and the moon shined enough light for her to see his dripping nose and teary eyes.

“What are you doing here, Talcott?” asked Astra as she stole a napkin from the table and handed it to the young boy.

Talcott blew his nose and spoke softly, “I’m sorry, Your Highness. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

“You didn’t,” assured Astra. “I couldn’t sleep. Just like you.”

They sat together in silence as the night breeze brushed over them. Talcott stopped crying, but Astra knew it was only because she was there. There was no way the young boy had finished mourning his grandfather, and maybe he wouldn’t any time soon. Astra was still mourning her father too after all.

“It’s not your fault, kid,” said Astra in a quiet voice.

Talcott shook his head, “If you knew…if you knew what I did and didn’t do—”

“I don’t need to know to know that it wasn’t your fault, but…” Astra wiped the fresh tears that fell from his eyes. “I know my words won’t be of much comfort. When my dad died, I didn’t feel any better when people told me it wasn’t my fault.”

Gently combing his hair away from his face, Astra continued, “I’m sure this small head of yours feels like it’s going to split open from all the thinking of how things could have been different— what you could have done. But that does no one any good.” Talcott’s glossed eyes paid eager attention to the princess as her hand held his. “Cry. Scream if you have to. We mourn our dead but mustn't ignore our living.”

An idea flashed through Talcott’s eyes, “Iris…”

“Iris, Gladio, Noct— there’s a whole list of people who care about us. That long list of people who care about us can also help us shoulder our burdens. This pain isn’t something we have to hide and keep buried,” said Astra, pointing at Talcott’s chest. “Take that pain, feel it, and make it a part of you. But don’t let it be who you are. This way, all the people we’ve lost will remain with us. Forever.”

Talcott looked down at his chest. His free hand touched his chest as if there were a newfound warmth, emitting from within. He looked back up with tearful eyes and jumped into Astra’s arms, wrapping his arms around her neck in a hug. Caught off guard, Astra almost fell over but returned the hug as she regained her balance. She could feel the tears that slipped out of Talcott’s eyes fall on her neck. Talcott returned to his seating place, but Astra held onto both his hands who also held onto hers. His eyes were still tearful, but there was a smile on his face this time.

“Thank you, Princess,” said Talcott as he kissed her hand with tears still escaping his eyes.

Talcott stood up and bowed before leaving. There weren’t any more words said. There wasn’t any need for more. Once he was gone, Astra also stood up but walked to sit at the tables on the balcony. There was distant chatter from below on the city streets. Even on a normal night, there was still life in Lestallum. She sensed a presence and felt it sit on the opposite side of the table. Even without looking, she could recognize who it was. She would always know who he was.

“Do you think he’ll be okay?” asked Noctis, looking at Astra.

“Eventually, but not today.” Astra looked at her brother. The hairs that framed his face were wet and stuck to his face. She slid the napkins over to his side. “Why are you up?”

Noctis avoided her gaze as he wiped the sweat off his face, but being his older sister and twin, Astra could already tell what happened.

“Nightmare, huh,” probed Astra.

“That obvious?” asked Noctis.

“You were never a sweaty sleeper. Only if you had nightmares which usually meant you’d wet my bed with sweat since you’d come to my room whenever that happened—”

“So did you!”

“But I don’t sweat from my nightmares. At least, not as much as you do.”

Noctis smiled at the nostalgic memories, “You’re right. You just used to beat the living hell out of me in your sleep.”

Astra’s gaze softened at the sight of her smiling brother, “Wanna talk about it?”

“Do you wanna talk about it?” 

She didn’t answer and only offered an apologetic smile. That was enough of an answer for Noctis to understand. Turns out, twins don’t have to share everything with each other after all. They sat together, comfortable in each other’s silent presence. A quiet and gentle sound came from Astra, but her lips didn’t move. She hummed a dreamy melody that immediately caught Noctis’ attention, making him turn alarmed. Surprised at her brother’s sudden and exaggerated movement, Astra stopped humming and looked at him puzzlingly.

“What?” she asked.

“That melody,” said Noctis almost out of unbelief. “Mom used to sing that.”

“You remember?” Astra turned her body towards Noctis as she rested her elbows on the table. “I thought you didn’t like her lullabies?” 

“No, I just didn’t like hearing you sing them.”

Astra leaned back in her chair and turned away from Noctis, “I’ll pretend that didn’t hurt.”

She didn’t say or do anything else. At first, Noctis did the same, but after a while, he began to steal glances of his sister. He would look up at the starry sky that she was named after and then look at her, going back and forth. 

He patted his lap awkwardly as spoke, “You can…keep going…if you want.”

Astra turned to him with a raised eyebrow. Noctis pursed his lips, not wanting to say more.

“Humming. You can keep going.” His gaze hesitantly met hers. “You... sound like her.”

Astra could feel the tears form on her eyes. Noctis turned away, unable to withstand prolonged emotional honesty from either of them. She blinked the tears away with a sniffle and smiled at her brother who saw her from the corner of his eye. Leaning back into the chair, Astra began humming the lullaby their mother would sing to them when they were young. According to their mother, it was an ancient song written in a language no one could understand, but their mother would tell them it was prayer asking that their  love could overcome gods, daemon, and men. But the melody was wistful and melancholic, and Astra wondered if the composer’s prayers were ever answered. She hoped they were.

Hope. That was all she could do. She did not have the faith to pray but instead sing a solemn lullaby.

A voice joined hers. Noctis. His voice was much lower than hers and sounded unsure of itself, but he continued singing. Sitting at that one table on their hotel’s balcony, they quietly hummed their lullaby together. Neither would ever talk of this moment again. They’d wake up the next day as if it never happened even when it had become one of the fondest memories they shared. They could no longer hear the distant chatter from the city streets. Just their two voices, humming into the night.

“You want me to sit where?” asked Astra, leaning forward to make sure she heard Ignis right.

“The back seats would be a tight fit with our added passenger,” answered Ignis. “Which is why you should sit in the passenger seat with Prompto.”

A few days had passed by, and it was time to get the show back on the road. Talcott had been sent ahead to Cape Caem where Cindy and Cid awaited them with the royal ship they’d use to get to Altissia. Iris was the only one left, and they’d offered her a ride. But, they’d forgotten that the Regalia only had five seats. Astra had originally offered her seat to Iris and planned to follow them via chocobo which they all disapproved of. There was no choice left but to fit all six into the Regalia. They all currently stood outside the classic Lucian ride as they figured out how that would be possible.
“I don’t think I fit,” reasoned Astra.

“He could always carry you on his lap,” offered Ignis without hesitation.

The thought of that happening made Astra’s thoughts freeze. Sitting on Prompto’s lap would certainly solve the problem, but that would place her close to Prompto. Very close. She’d been in close proximity to Prompto many times before, but this would be very prolonged. She imagined it to prepare herself for the journey. Prompto had the smallest frame out of all the guys, but having to carry around heavy artillery meant his body was nicely built and his muscles were well-toned. Knowing Prompto, Astra imagined he’d sit as still as possible to avoid discomforting her. He’d probably hold his legs wide open to allow her as much seat space for her to sit in between as she rested her back on his chest. His hands would rest on his knees and—

“No way! Nuh-uh!” yelled Noctis as he pulled Astra away from where she stood near Ignis and Prompto. “Not letting that happen.”

Snapping out of her daze, Astra glanced at Ignis couldn’t help the snorting laughter that escaped him. Prompto appeared frozen and wide-eyed; he shyly smiled and glanced at Astra as a light blush adorned his cheeks. Gladio was also smiling ear to ear at the spectacle, and Iris hid her giggling face with her hands. Noctis was the only person not smiling. Without letting go of Astra’s wrist, Noctis nudged Gladio’s shoulder, asking for some sort of help. Gladio wiped the smile off his face and did his best to imitate a serious face, although the corners of his lips betrayed him.

“Alright, let’s do this. Astra stays in her seat, and I’ll carry Iris,” said Gladio, pulling Iris into view.

Caught off guard but still able to keep up with the conversation, Iris nodded, “Yeah, I’m fine with that.”

“Very well,” replied Ignis. “It’ll be a two day trip. We’ll take breaks along the way to stretch our legs.”

Noctis nodded, satisfied with the new plan, and let go of Astra. Not entirely understanding what had happened or why Noctis reacted the way he did, Astra settled into her usual seat as everyone else accommodated themselves. Just like that, they were back on the road with an extra party member. Gladio sat Iris on his lap. Since Gladio took so much leg space, Astra settled Iris’ legs on her lap.

“So, Ignis. Are you the only one who drives?” asked Iris.

“I can drive!” added Prompto.

“And so can I,” jumped in Noctis.

Iris’ gaze fell on Astra who remained quiet. Noticing the girl’s innocent eyes, Astra knew what she was wanting to know, “I don’t drive. Not my thing.”

“We may have several drivers, but Iggy’s the only one we can trust,” admitted Gladio.

“Wow, they’re that bad?” laughed Iris.

“Not bad at all,” said Noctis unconvincingly as he nudged Astra for support. “Right?”

Since Astra didn’t answer, Prompto nodded, looking at Noctis, “Right. There’s just no way the big guy would take any risks with his little sister on board.”

“Wish my brother cared for me like that,” mumbled Astra.

Noctis stepped on Astra’s foot in response, but Astra couldn’t even respond to the pain properly with the overwhelming humming sound that suddenly echoed throughout the air. Everyone looked up to find the cause of the sound. A familiar aerial ship flew overhead and appeared to land beyond a few hills, out of sight.

“That’s some bad news,” said Prompto with a sigh.

Gladio rubbed the bridge of his nose, “Great. Another flying fortress.”

“Let’s pull over,” said Ignis without taking his eyes off the road.

Noticing Iris' worried gaze, Noctis did his best to comfort her, “Don’t worry. We got this.”

Ignis pulled over at the nearest outpost, Old Lestallum. As the name implies, Old Lestallum is Lestallum’s predecessor. It’s a far smaller city, if it could even be called that, but it was still bigger than Hammerhead. After parking the car, they checked into a small motel and dragged their belongings inside. Usually, they’d ask around the town to get info on the imperial base, but the flying base had obviously just arrived, meaning the civilians wouldn’t be of much help. They’d have to scout the base on their own. 

Following the rest out the door of the guy’s motel room, Iris spoke, “I can help too!”

Gladio turned to his sister as the rest seated themselves inside the car, “No way. This is too dangerous.”

“Gladio’s right, Iris,” said Astra from her seat. “We’ve already had our fair share of unpleasant meetings with some of Nifleheim’s high and mighty. We don’t know what’s waiting for us inside.”

“We’ve already taken down plenty of bases, but better safe than sorry,” added Prompto.

“Shouldn’t take more than a day. Tops,” said Gladio as he seated himself beside Astra.

Iris still appeared hesitant to let them go without her, but she eventually nodded her head with a solemn smile, “I’ll be waiting then.”

They took the car but parked ways off from where Nifleheim had set up their base. The Regalia had already fallen into imperial hands once, and that wouldn’t happen again. They made the rest of the trip on foot. Because it had been a newly established base, the watchposts the empire had set up were not yet inhabited with magitek snipers, making it the perfect scouting spot for them. 

“What do you think they’re doing all the way out here?” asked Noctis, surveying his surroundings. “Trying to conquer more land.”

“These aren’t conquering numbers,” answered Astra.

Turning to look at his friends, Noctis asked, “Any bright ideas?”

“Just bulldozing our way through tin-head after tin-head won’t do anything.”

Ignis adjusted his glasses, “Which is why we find the base’s commander. As Astra says, “tin-heads” will yield little results in terms of reconnaissance, but bones bend easily.”

Astra smiled in disbelief, “You’re talking torture?”

“Persuasion,” corrected Ignis. “We split into two groups. Astra, Gladio, and Prompto will serve as the diversion whilst Noctis and I kidnap the commander.”

Noctis nudged Astra’s shoulder, “Sad you don’t get to play assassin?”

“You're just jealous, but don't worry. I’ll save some of the fun for you,” joked Astra.

Watching the setting sun, Ignis spoke, “Are we prepared?”

Noctis turned to look at his friend’s faces. They’re faces were sure of themselves and ready for whatever lay ahead. There was only silence, but the trust shared among them stood strong and loud. There wasn’t any need for words to figure out their next course of action.

Smiling, Prompto clapped as if they were about to do something fun, “Operation: To Catch A Commander is a go!”

Chapter Text

Night had fallen. The base was littered with watchtowers that shined lights all over in an effort for security. Magitek soldiers and mechs roamed the grounds periodically. As planned, Ignis and Noctis had gone off on their own to search for the base’s commander. Astra, Gladio, and Prompto went their own way. Like the past base, this imperial base also had a generator that boosted the empire’s defense. That was their goal. They slipped their way past the enemy machines in silence as they made their way to the generator. Getting caught creating a ruckus anywhere else would not prove as favorable conditions.

“Might’ve said this before, but you’re pretty good at this covert thing,” said Gladio as he followed Astra. “Maybe you should have gone with the other two, after all.”

“Well, they needed a distraction.” Astra turned to Gladio with a smirk, still maintaining cover. “And I more than suffice.”

Prompto peeked out from their cover, “There she is.”

They turned to look and found the base’s generator in plain sight. The generator stood in the middle of the court. The watchlights that had been hounding unwanted visitors searched everywhere else except the court where the generator was, as if it were the last place they could be. The construction stands where magitek soldiers would scout the area remained abandoned, and the grounds remained unpatrolled. The coast was clear. Realizing this, Gladio stood up from their hiding spot and began to make his way towards the generator with his greatsword in hand. Prompto and Astra followed him, but something caught Astra’s eye.

Hidden in the shadows, Astra saw a gleam of light. She began to slow down as she attempted to  make out the image. A pair of familiar purple eyes glowed in the dark, and Etro stepped forward to reveal herself. There she was in all her majesty. The strange goddess hadn’t stopped appearing before Astra, but Etro never said a word. The goddess would usually smile and just linger in Astra’s presence which is why seeing her expression now surprised Astra. Etro’s eyes appeared filled with worry as her brows bent down. Even worried, she was beautiful, but now wasn’t the time to admire the goddess’ beauty. Etro stared into Astra’s eyes, and slowly, the princess realized what message the goddess had been attempting to deliver. Running ahead to her friends, Astra pulled both Prompto and Gladio down into cover as gunshots rained upon the ground they once stood.

“Woah! Were they waiting for us?” asked Prompto, summoning his gun.

“Doubt that.” Astra reprimanded herself inside her head. How foolish could she be to think that the empire had left their generator unattended? “They wouldn’t have let us get this far.”

“Unless they wanted us surrounded,” reasoned Gladio.

Astra shook her head, “If they were waiting for us, they’d know we split up, making it easier to take us down, but they didn’t take advantage of that.”

Astra summoned her bow and pulled back the string, slowly materializing an arrow made of light magic. She knew that the light from her arrow gave away their location to all attacking enemies, and now that the watchlights had focused on the court where the generator stood, visibility increased for all. She momentarily peeked out from the cover and immediately found her target.

“I’m never getting over that,” said Prompto, looking at the arrow made of light.

Astra prepared herself, “Here comes the distraction.”

Stepping out from the safety of their cover, Astra held her bow properly and released the arrow within the span of a few seconds. The arrow flew straight into an approaching mech that exploded as soon as Astra’s arrow made contact, putting it out of permanent commission. Taking advantage of the sudden explosion, Prompto and Gladio also left their cover and began wreaking havoc as planned. With the mech gone, they only had to deal with the foot soldiers which was pretty much just like any other day’s work for them. As the fight ensued, Astra realized why Ignis had placed her with Prompto and Gladio. They each perfectly balanced each other out and watched each other’s backs as if it were second nature. Maybe it was.

Sudden heavy thumping echoed vibrations through the ground. For a moment, Astra thought it was Titan. Maybe he had come to split her head open with another headache. But instead, a mech appeared. This one was bigger and even had some red parts of its build glowing, and glowing red parts was never a good thing. Prompto finished off the rest of the foot soldiers, each with a single shot, and joined Astra and Gladio who sighed at the sight of the newly arrived mech.

“I’m beginning to think they have a limitless supply of mechs,” moaned Astra.

“All kidding aside, this could be bad,” said Gladio as he tightened his grip around his greatsword.

Prompto changed his handgun for a heavier weapon, “So, what? We stay out of it?”

“Nah, it’s cool,” said Gladio, stretching his neck nonchalantly. “Let’s go.”

The mech slowly marched towards the three, moving its arms and guns as it to show off the machinery that would take their lives. Astra felt a sudden wind  breeze past her cheek and even messed up her hair. A launched greatsword flew into the mech's leg, making it fall onto one of its mechanical knees. Both Prompto and Astra recognized the greatsword and looked at Gladio whose arm was stretched forward.

“Did you just throw that?” asked Astra in a quiet voice.

Gladio shrugged, summoning his greatsword back into his hand, “Yeah?”

His indifferent response froze Astra into place as she smiled, forgetting the time and place, “You muscular brute! How much do you lift to throw it like nothing at this distance!? My gods.”

“What can I say,” said Gladio, wiping his nose with pride.

“Miss me?” A sudden voice asked.

The three turned to find Noctis, smiling at the sight of his friends bickering. Neither Ignis or the base’s commander were anywhere in sight. Knowing Ignis, Astra imagined he’d already escorted him off the base for safe keeping.

“Look who’s late to the party,” sang Astra. “I assume Ignis has the Niff.”

“Yeah,” answered Noctis. “Save any for me?”

“All yours.” Astra stepped aside and revealed the mech that Gladio had just attacked. In the moments they decided to make small-talk, the mech had recuperated and stood back up, preparing to launch its attack.

“Geez, you shouldn’t have.”

The process of defeating mechs doesn’t really differ too much by model. They usually have the same qualities, but the newer ones simply are stronger and more durable and came with more guns which were the most annoying part of them. Naturally, Noctis and Astra targeted the guns first. This meant the two siblings were immediately targeted by the mechs' weapons, but it also meant that Prompto and Gladio were free to attack without too much worry. Like she’d done plenty of times before, Astra used her polearm to jam it into the spot where the gun attached itself to the mech, slowly wearing it down and pulling it apart. 

Astra hadn’t realized when she first started using her polearm as her primary weapon. In an attempt to honor her mother, she didn’t like using it for just any battle such as killing MTs and mechs. She used to even feel guilty when she did, but now, that guilt was gone. Maybe she had subconsciously realized that there were other ways to honor her mother’s memory and that using her polearm was one way. How could Astra pretend she’d done her best to protect those dear to her even if she didn’t use her full potential? Even then, parts of her still felt strange and riddled with guilt. Those parts of her could only hope her mother would forgive her. But like Astra had told Talcott, they mustn’t forget the living in hopes of honoring the dead.

Everyone’s strength combined was more than enough to handle the likes of the imperial mech. Astra didn’t know who delivered the last blow, but the mech had collapsed on the ground with oil spilling out of it and exploded soon after, taking the generator with it. Their work was done. They dematerialized their weapons and prepared to leave the base before any reinforcements appeared, but Ignis appeared, walking towards them.

“Glad to see you lot were successful,” said Ignis, dragging his feet toward them.

“Does that mean you weren’t?” asked Noctis, just as confused as everyone else.

Ignis sighed, “I placed our captive into the custody of hunters nearby, but I’ve just received word he’s escaped and lives to die another day.”

“And I’ll make sure of that.”

Hearing Noctis speak so coldly caught Astra off guard, “No use sticking around anymore. Let’s go.”

Astra led the group as they made their way through the base. They still had to be careful since they weren’t entirely sure what lurked within the shadows of the imperial base. It was quiet, and that was probably the disappointment. For a moment, it felt like they were on a roll, making a change that mattered. Next thing they knew, their change literally ran away. They hadn’t been losing, but it didn’t feel like they were winning either. A watchlight suddenly spotted them from high above, but when they turned to look, they found it was actually an arriving magitek engine. Despite the fact that the magitek engine wasn’t near the ground to land, the bay doors opened and a figure jumped out. 

“Did they just jump!” yelled Prompto, just as surprised as the rest of them.

The acrobatic figure twirled in the air around the long shaft of their weapon. Astra tried making out what kind of weapon it was, but the figure followed the light from the magitek engine which blinded Astra. Noctis pulled Astra aside as he summoned his sword and parried the unknown figure that had originally aimed at Astra. The pressure the figure accumulated from jumping from up high overpowered Noctis as he fell back, and the figure kneeled over him without attacking.

“Hey, pretty boy,” said a pleasant voice.

Gladio and Astra rushed forward and attacked, but the figure jumped back to a safe distance. Now, they were able to get a better look at their assailant. It was a woman with silver-blonde hair, wearing red and black armor accompanied by leather. The assailant wore a helmet with a single horn, and despite being unable to see her face, Astra could recognize her by her fighting abilities alone. 

“He’s barely 20, you cougar,” said Astra loudly, summoning her polearm.

The woman laughed, “I see the family resemblance, Princess.”

“An old friend?” asked Prompto, hoping for peace.

Astra scoffed, “Her name’s Aranea, a mercenary under Niffleheim’s service.”

“The Princess and I go way back,” smiled Aranea.

“Is that the lance I broke last time?”

“It’s a spear—”

“Looks like a lance.”

Aranea sighed and placed a hand on her hip. Astra and Aranea had met several times on the frontlines and other places. Aranea was the type of person Astra had the most trouble figuring out which is why she hated bumping into her. The two had a pretty amicable relationship, all things considering. But, it was obvious that Aranea wasn’t there to visit an old friend.

“Her specialty is a high-jump,” said Astra quickly before Aranea could make a move. “The moment you figure out her landing zone, you clear the way or you’re done for— and there she goes.”

All eyes were on Aranea who had jumped high into the sky. There were really only a handful of people who could accomplish such a feat: Noctis, Astra, and Ignis. But they all used magic, making Aranea’s accomplishments that much more impressive. Magitek foot soldiers joined the fray and kept them busy as Aranea chose her targets. Spotting Aranea’s landing zone, Astra rushed forward and pushed Prompto and Gladio away. She was able to jump away to safety by mere inches but was still able to feel the disastrous impact of Aranea’s lance, making contact with the ground by the reverberation that rang throughout her body.

“You’ve gotten quicker, princess,” said Aranea as she lunged forward to attack Astra.

Astra blocked and parried, kicking Aranea’s lance into the ground. Aranea tried lifting it back up, but Astra had focused her strength on that one leg to make sure Aranea, who heavily relied on her lance, wouldn’t be going anywhere. Doing her best to steady herself, Astra tightened her grip around her polearm and struck down at Aranea. The Dragoon mercenary raised her armored arm and blocked Astra’s strike. It hurt like hell, but at least, she saved herself from a worse fate. Taking advantage of Aranea’s predicament, Noctis swiftly launched forward to strike her, but Aranea instead grasped at Astra’s polearm, using the fact she remained unsteady, and used that to swing the princess’ whole body around towards Noctis.

Before making contact, Astra dematerialized her polearm, hoping to be able to stop herself from bumping into Noctis, but she didn’t slow down. The best next thing she could do was phase herself through Noctis. Noctis was still able to land his attack, but it wasn’t as powerful as it would have been had it gone according to plan. Having regained control of her lance, Aranea jumped back to safety and looked at Astra who had rolled onto a few magitek foot soldiers who now lay motionless on the ground since Astra had been unable to balance herself on her feet after phasing through Noctis. Astra stood back up, supporting herself on her summoned polearm, and wiped the dirt from her mouth.

“I really hate you,” muttered Astra as she glared at Aranea who smirked at her misfortune.

“And here I was thinking I was on my best behavior,” smiled Aranea.

The battle continued. Aranea didn’t discriminate between her targets and went after every target she thought was open. Similarly, magitek soldiers fought them like usual; Aranea would even often destroy some when she landed her aerial attacks. But, Astra knew Aranea. The Dragoon was a reputable mercenary with enough experience and talent to be recruited by the empire as a commodore. In other words, Aranea knew how to fight like a pro because she was a pro; Aranea knew how to hit her targets and only her targets. Astra didn’t know if Aranea was really just being careless since she had nothing to lose or whether she was trying to help them out in a roundabout way.

It was about time things came to end. The persistent magitek foot soldiers had been taken care of, and only Aranea remained. Even if she had more expertise than all of them combined, Aranea would not be able to keep up a fight against five people on her own. She was worn and tired, making it the perfect moment to attack. Ignis, Prompto, and Gladio kept Aranea busy. In that moment, Noctis and Astra lunged forward to attack Aranea. But as mentioned, Aranea had much experience and her current predicament was something she’d gone through before several times. The Dragoon mercenary knew how to respond. She jammed her lance frimly into the ground and lifted herself into the air, supporting herself on her lance. Releasing a blast of energy from her lance, Aranea was sent flying back as she narrowly avoided contact with the twin’s weapons.

Aranea gracefully landed on top of a couple of exposed overhead pipes and looked down at them, “Guess it’s that time already.”

“What time?” asked Noctis.

“Quittin’ time,” sang Aranea. “This girl doesn’t work after hours. Well, I could, but the empire doesn’t pay overtime.”

Astra scoffed and dematerialized her polearm, “You are such a headache.”

“Let’s do this again, pretty boy,” said Aranea, clearly attempting to annoy Astra. “Princess.”

With that said, Aranea once again jumped high into the ground and landed safely within the magitek engine that awaited her. They didn’t relax until they saw the magitek engine fly away. Noctis dematerialized his sword and rested his hands on his hips with a sigh.

“What the hell was she?” asked Noctis to himself.

“An annoyance,” answered Astra, continuing her journey of exiting the base.

“Sounds like you like her,” said Gladio as they all followed Astra.

Astra shrugged, “When she’s not trying to kill me.”

“Looks like you know all the big players from Niflheim,” added Prompto.

“Not all of them. I just read the reports, unlike someone,” Astra glared at Noctis.

Ignoring his sister’s glare, Noctis yawned, “Anyways, I’m beat.”

The five dragged their feet as they made their way out the base and towards their car. They’d spent hours at the base, and none of them knew what time it was. Astra swore she could spy a few rays of light sneak up from the horizon but wasn’t sure if maybe she was just that tired. She commended Ignis who still took it upon himself to drive them safely into town. Iris was waiting for them despite the time and waved as they parked the car. It was obvious that she had been filled with worry and how relieved she was at the mere sight of them. They ate a small dinner together, discussing the events of their day, and went to bed.

For the first time in a long time, Astra was able to sleep alone in a bed; Iris soundly slept beside her in her own bed. The thoughts and memories of Astra’s day flashed throughout her mind as she slowly lost herself to sleep. With closed eyes, a presence appeared in Astra’s mind like clockwork as it had been doing every time she closed her eyes to sleep. The scenery in Astra’s dream was of an otherworldly dimension. There were no familiar landmarks or objects. There was no ground or sky, yet she was able to stand upright and even sit down. It appeared to be an endless blue void bathed in delicate lights of purple and green. There was no one else there except Astra, and yet she had never felt as warm and comforted as she did then. There, she rested.

Chapter Text

“Is this your domain?” asked Astra as she sat with crossed legs.

Across from her, Etro sat gracefully with her legs to the side, “It was, but it was left in another’s care as I slept.”

The two sat in the middle of the endless blue void that wrapped itself in warm lights of blue and purple. There was no ground or sky, yet the two were able to sit as they pleased without any worries. It had taken much effort to get the strange goddess to converse with Astra, but it finally worked. Astra did her best to gather information through what appeared to be meaningless conversations. Etro usually answered, but there was always a moment of hesitation as she first determined whether it was something to reveal to the princess.

“You’re an Astral, right?” asked Astra with care.

Etro’s gentle gaze watched Astra, “I’m not sure. Astrals are the Six gods who watch over Eos; however, I was never amongst the Six.”

“But you are a god?” probed Astra. “And you do watch over Eos.”

“You speak the truth.”

Astra finally brought herself to ask, “Where were you? I mean, why did you have to sleep?”

“All will be revealed in due time.” Etro moved strands of Astra’s hair behind her ear with her delicate hand and smiled. “But it is time you wake now. Dwelling too long in this realm will do you harm.”

The trip to Cape Caem continued. The same four sat in the backseat of the Regalia, allowing Prompto and Ignis their seats. Feeling guilty about Iris’ position from the day before, Astra opted to sit on Gladio’s lap this time around as Iris sat between Noctis and Gladio. There was some protest, but Astra insisted. Gladio’s lap was surprisingly comfortable, probably due to all his muscles. Nonetheless, it was still an awkward position for her to be in which meant she couldn’t relax properly.

The weather was more than satisfactory. Astra rested her back on the car door behind her. She brushed her hair out of her face and noticed a pair of eyes on her. Prompto rested his arms on his car door where his head lay as he candidly stared at Astra. His eyes widened, and his ears turned red once he noticed that she had caught him staring. Astra turned her body and leaned on the corner of his seat’s headrest, closing the distance between them.

“What is it?” asked Astra with a smile as she spotted the camera in Prompto’s hands. “Were you taking pictures?”

Prompto fiddled with his camera, “Just a few.”

“Of me?”

“Some. Yeah,” answered Prompto, knowing he was unable to hide the red in his cheeks.

“Let me see,” said Astra, leaning even closer towards Prompto.

Prompto’s body turned to the corner Astra leaned on. Their backs were turned to everyone else, and at that moment, it felt like they were sharing a secret in a place of their own. Prompto held onto one side of the camera, and Astra held the other side as she pressed the button to scroll through the camera roll. There were a wide variety of images. There were some of everyone on their own and also group shots. Naturally, there were several selfie shots of Prompto. One image showed Noctis soundly sleeping with his mouth wide open; it made Astra laugh. Another image showed Ignis and Gladio engaged in what appeared to be a heated conversation; by the Cup Noodles seen in the background, Astra assumed they were once again discussing the true nutritional value of the instant noodles.

There were various shots of Astra, more than she expected. Some were of her conversing or simply lost in thought. Astra had seen herself in countless images and even portraits before, but these were different. All the other images taken of her captured the essence of who she was as a princess, but the images Prompto took were of Astra as a person— as herself. A common trait amongst most of the images Prompto took was the beautiful scenery.

“You’ve always loved taking pictures since we were young,” reminisced Astra. “You were always good at it.”

“You like them?” asked Prompto with expectant eyes.

“Love them,” said Astra as she looked at more scenic images. “You know, I’ve always wanted to see the sea.”

Prompto didn’t hide his confusion, “What do you mean? You’re telling me that you never got to see the ocean even after leaving Insomnia and even going to the front lines?”

“I’ve been to and even rode a boat, but I wasn’t really there to admire the scenery,” explained Astra, stealing glances of Prompto as she continued scrolling through his camera roll. “Besides, it was dark. The ocean is intimidating at night, and aquatic daemons are the worst.”

“If you’ve only ever seen the sea at night— when it scared you, why do you still like it?”

Astra found herself no longer looking at the camera, “My mother would often tell us stories about it, Noctis and I. She’d describe it with such passion as if no jewel could ever compare. I couldn’t help but fall in love with it too, even if I never saw it.”

“Well, your dream shall soon be fulfilled,” cheered Prompto with a wide and uneven grin.

The princess found herself unable to look away from the blonde boy’s blue eyes. Unable to keep her thoughts within herself, her lips parted to speak the words she’d been so reluctant to say, “You know, the sea has always reminded me of—”

“Wait, Ignis. Stop!”

The car came to a sudden halt, surprising everyone riding within. The sudden stop made Astra lose her already compromised balance and her head rocked forward, hitting Prompto’s already near head. Her hand reached out to Prompto’s head. The coolness of her touch on the place their heads had hit felt comforting. Everyone groaned as their eyes glared at the one who had made Ignis stop without warning. Noctis did his best to hide his guilt, feeling Astra’s penetrating glare.

“What the hell was that about?” yelled Gladio, ensuring Iris remained safe.

Noctis hesitantly pointed to a road that split off the highway they’d been on, “I-Isn’t this the road that leads to Malmalam Thicket? I wanted to check out.”

“That’s what was so important!?” asked Astra with a slight growl.

Noctis nodded his head without saying a word. There was no way he’d tell her or anyone for that matter the truth.

Gladio began to speak, “Hell, no. Not with Iris here—”

“I can take care of myself,” groaned Iris. “I’m not a baby!”

“I was just thinking that if the rumors about this place were true,” explained Noctis.

Astra, as well as everyone else, understood, “We might find one of the Royal Arms. With everything that’s been happening, I unconsciously put that on the back burner.”

“Oh, please, Gladdy,” begged Iris.

Gladio, like any big brother, was susceptible to his little sister’s pleading charm. He groaned and shook his head which slowly evolved into a disappointed sigh, “Alright.”

Iris smiled widely and cheered as much as she could in the tight space between Noctis and Gladio. Ignis changed the course of their destination as Astra accommodated herself once again on Gladio’s lap. The moment between her and Prompto was over and lost, unable to be reignited thanks to Noctis. She massaged the throbbing part of her head, observing Prompto doing the same. Her glaring gaze returned to Noctis who immediately turned away. There was no point in continuing her glaring attitude towards Noctis. It was best she save her energy for whatever daemons and monsters they’d encounter on their journey to gaining a Royal Arm.

“It’s so moist in here,” moaned Noctis, wiping sweat off his neck.

“These bugs make me want to throw up,” said Astra, removing her sword from the corpse of a monster.

Malmalam Thicket was just as the rumors said. After sneaking in between the small crevices of two large boulders, the group moved into a densely grown hidden jungle. Vines hung from the trees, and overgrown bushes stretched themselves across the terrain. They followed an already marked path, presumably made by researchers who came before them. The monsters of the forested dungeon were like any other, but due to the moist nature of it, insect-like monsters seemed to favor it the most. Astra and Noctis could deal with boulder-like monsters and beasts that prowl the sky, but insects? The twins felt rather strongly about any and all kinds of insects.

Iris couldn’t help but laugh at the newfound discovery, “You don’t like bugs?”

“Hate ‘em,” shivered Astra. “That’s something Little Noct and I have in common.”

“Don’t call me that, and it’s not just us,” said Noctis. “Prompto can’t stand them either.”

Prompto nodded his head slowly with disgust as he stared at the corpses of the dead insect-like monsters that lay around them. They continued on their way, killing whatever monster and beast that crossed their path. Slowly, the sky began to dim, and at first, Astra thought that it was simply because the jungle became denser as they traveled further in. However, a quick glance at the sky let her know that the sun had begun to set. Ignis had informed them that there were safe camping grounds within the dungeon kept safe by the same mystical and ancient runes all other camping grounds had. They searched for that safe patch of ground and only decided to give up their search once the sun completely set, covering the entire land in darkness. The safer option was to find a safe place to rest for the night instead of brazing through the monster-infested jungle.

They hadn’t expected to spend that much time in the dungeon, so they hadn’t packed any of their sleeping bags or tent. They had packed no food either, and they would have starved if they hadn’t killed a beast earlier. Ignis and Iris started a fire and began to do what they could with the meat from the beast. The fire was small, but its warmth brought comfort. They all found a place around the fire as they waited for the food.

“We’re gonna have to take turns,” said Astra, sitting down on the ground between Noctis and Ignis. “Dibs on the first.”

“First turn for what?” asked Iris as she passed food down.

“Watching,” answered Gladio in between bites. “Can’t exactly rest easy in the middle of a dungeon with no protection runes to keep us safe.”

Ignis passed Astra her piece of meat, “In that case, I’ll take second watch.”

Astra took a hearty bite out of her dinner without preparing herself for the intense heat it’d release within her mouth. She let out a gasp as she allowed a sharp breath into her lungs. The hot piece of meat didn’t leave her mouth as she attempted to cool it with her constant breathing through her mouth. Slowly but surely, the meat cooled, and she was able to chew with no worry. Even under the limited circumstances given, Ignis was a splendid cook.

“Food’s not going anywhere,” mocked Noctis as he blew on his piece of meat.

Astra’s glaring gaze slowly made her way to her brother who shamelessly ignored her as he smiled slyly at his meal. She opened her mouth, ready to retaliate, when she felt someone tap her shoulder. She turned to see Ignis holding out his Ebony coffee. His mouth was full from his own meal, but his message was obvious. Astra took him up on his offer and stole a drink from his Ebony then returned it to his hand. Ignis would have offered the others a drink too, but he knew they all hated the bitter taste of his favorite coffee. That was something he and Astra had in common along with many other things.

“This could be such a cute date,” sighed Iris.

Astra frowned, “Getting stuck in a dungeon overnight?”

“What? No! The bonfire,” corrected Iris. “You know, cuddling around the fire with your loved one ‘cause you're too cold?”

“I suppose,” said looking up at the sky but vines and trees obscured the starry sky.

“Well, what kind of dates do you like— No! Better yet,” Iris rubbed her hands for warmth and shivered from excitement. “ Who was your first date?”

Gladio groaned, “We seriously gonna start this conversation?”

Iris slapped Gladio’s shoulder without breaking eye contact with Astra. Astra had no intention of answering. It was old news and not something she thought much about today, but Iris’ constant enthusiastic stare slowly thawed her resolve. The princess was sure no one else cared for such a conversation, but she caved into Iris’ desire.

“Hmmm,” teased Astra. “It was a nobleman's son. We’d met several times at a few parties and decided to go out for dinner, but I didn’t really think much of it.”

“Did you guys go out?” asked Iris expectantly as Prompto suddenly coughed.

A laugh echoed throughout the dungeon, belonging to Noctis, “As if! She threw a drink all over him on the second date.”

“What? Why?”

Astra shrugged, “Honestly, I don’t even remember. I don’t even remember his name.”

“He had been saying rather unfavorably things about the status of the Royal Heir and how women ought to be docile,” said Ignis as if he had practiced for it. “Then, he asked her out.”

This time, everyone laughed. It was certainly a believable story. Astra had always been stubborn and impatient, leading her to act without not thinking about it first. With this, Ignis had become proficient in cleaning up after his headstrong princess, and Noctis laughed, mocking his sister. 

“So, did you ever end up going out with someone?” asked Iris.

Astra sighed with a smile, “I did technically have a boyfriend once.”

Prompto choked on his food and urged for a sip from Ignis’ coffee. Ignis complied and watched as the blonde boy squinted and gagged at the taste of the bitter coffee. Iris looked at Gladio who only shook his head, glancing at the shocked blonde boy who sat next to Iris.

“Really!?” asked Iris expectantly.

Noctis was just as surprised, “You had a boyfriend? Who was it?”

“I told you when it happened.” Astra frowned at her brother who clearly had no recollection of what she was talking about. She pointed to the man sitting next to her, “I kind of dated Ignis for a bit.”

All eyes fell on the man sitting beside Astra who remained calm. Ignis took a sip from his coffee and adjusted his glasses. Noctis' mouth opened as he attempted to come up with words to say, but no sound came out. He wasn’t the only one feeling the same feeling of shock and even betrayal. Besides Ignis, Prompto once again choked on his food. Ignis offered his Ebony coffee, but Prompto didn’t take a drink this time and instead slowly forced the food down his throat. Iris couldn’t hide her growing smile.

“Oh, right,” said Gladio nonchalantly. “That did happen.”

“You knew!?” Noctis asked Gladio.

Gladio frowned, “Pretty sure the whole city knew. It was in the news and everything.”

“Why didn’t I know?” asked Noctis still with unbelief.

“That’s because you turn your head the other way every time your father or sister were ever mentioned in anything,” answered Ignis calmly. “But we both made sure to tell you.”

“Wait, so you guys dated? Like, for real?” asked Iris, ignoring Noctis’ dilemma.

Ignis and Astra looked at each other. Their heads did something between shaking and nodding as their lips opened to release unsure incoherent mumblings that only they understood. They turned their attention back to Noctis.

“Officially, yes,” answered Ignis.

“I was receiving a lot of proposals at the time for courtship and marriage,” explained Astra as Ignis nodded in agreement. “We thought it was a good idea. I mean, it worked. The proposals stopped coming.”

“It didn’t even take much convincing in the end. There were already rumors we were in a relationship since we were always together,” added Ignis.

Iris squealed, “I knew it! I knew it. I always thought you two looked good together. And, how was it?”

Watching Iris’ honest and curious reactions made Astra smile. Astra didn’t often hang out with girls her age or, at least, “normal” girls. Growing up, she was surrounded by women who were commanders and professionals. Normal conversations such as “boy talk” wasn’t something Astra was able to part-take in. She never thought it was something she needed or missed, but talking with Iris made Astra realize it was something she never knew she was missing. Astra had always liked Iris, and had the princess’ life been different, they would have probably been close friends.

“Ignis has always been caring and attentive with both Noctis and I, so it didn’t feel too different.” Astra turned to look at Ignis who did his best to pretend he wasn’t interested in hearing what she had to say, but the way he leaned his head towards her told her otherwise. “But while we dated, he was especially doting whenever we were in public or when paparazzi were nearby.”

“Like what?” Iris continued to pour out her questions. “How?”

“Some really basic couple things like linking arms or holding hands. Oh! There was one time he kissed my cheek— which has been the most personal act of skinship between the two of us to this day— and that really surprised me.”

“Did you get butterflies?”

“A little? I mean, he was my childhood crush,” laughed Astra.

Iris gasped exaggeratedly and then giggled while covering her mouth like a mischievous young child. Being the closest one to her, Prompto’s shoulder was slapped by Iris as she attempted to calm herself. The slap itself wasn’t heavy but Prompto didn’t have the strength to hold himself up. His disheartened body moved easily as his eyes remained watching the also giggling Astra.

“Now, that I do know,” laughed Noctis. “You used to follow us around all the time just to hang out with him. Even asked Dad if you could marry him.”

Gladio also couldn’t contain his growing laughter as Astra hid her face in her hands from the embarrassment, “Still won him over though.”

Astra’s laugh came to a sudden and obvious halt as she looked up with wide eyes first at Gladio then at Ignis. Ignis’s gaze lingered on Gladio who appeared to have said something he shouldn’t have. The brunette man frowned slightly and took a drink from his coffee. The princess couldn’t help the dramatic gasp that escaped her lips that matched her beaming smile. Ignis sighed and stared off into the distance, doing his best to avoid Astra’s wonder-like stare. She eventually pulled his arm’s sleeve, making him finally look at her.

“Aw.” Astra did her best to compose herself and withhold her laughter. “You had a crush on little me?”

“You were an endearing child,” answered Ignis. “A trait you appeared to have outgrown.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I’m super lovable. Right, Little Noct?”

Noctis immediately shook his head, “Don’t even ask me. I will throw you under the bus— actually, I’d be driving the bus.”

Astra slapped Noctis’ head in retaliation. He attempted to hit her head as well but she dodged, making the hit land on her arm instead. Noctis didn’t give up and pulled her arm toward him so he could get a decent shot, and before everyone knew it, the two were exchanging pathetic slaps and fighting like a pair of children. Ignis sighed as he pulled the two apart, dragging Astra towards him and pushing Noctis away. Iris laughed at the spectacle; she’d probably be the same with Gladio if they were closer in age. Iris watched as all eyes rested on the royal siblings but noticed Prompto’s dejected appearance.

“Something wrong, Prompto?” asked Iris, pulling all attention to the blonde boy.

Surprised, Prompto shook his head with a hesitant smile, “No, I’m just a little tired.”

Noctis could tell when Prompto lied. The blonde boy was never a good liar, but Noctis didn’t like to push. This time, it was obvious why Prompto was so silent while everyone else laughed at their childhood stories. The young prince sighed as he watched his best friend hesitantly glance at Astra who remained unaware of the bright blue eyes that always followed her. 

“Sleep does not sound bad at all,” said Gladio as he laid on his back and closed his eyes. “I’ll take the third watch.”

They each lay where they once sat and did their best to nurture the sleep that came to them. As planned, Astra remained awake as she watched her friends lower their guard as they lost consciousness. She looked at Ignis and recalled the embarrassing memories of her past where she would follow him and Noctis around in an attempt to just be with him; nonetheless, they were fond memories. Astra marveled at the fact that versions of herself from her past and her present were two very different people yet they existed within the same mind and soul. She couldn’t deny the fact that she missed her childhood naivety but also wouldn’t change who she was now in the present. She was who she needed to be for others but most importantly for herself.

Chapter Text

“I like rainy days,” said Astra as she walked through the jungle. “But not when I’m stuck in a muddy jungle.”

Prompto yawned, “They always make me feel so tired.”

“Or maybe that’s just ‘cause you couldn’t get much sleep after last night’s talk,” joked Gladio, pushing past Prompto.

Ignis took the lead as they made their way through the jungle forest that made up Malmalam Thicket. He’d found a map along with abandoned camping gear probably from researchers who met their fate in the dungeon. It was worn and old, but Ignis was still able to understand it. No one slept well last night. The ground was too coarse, and the prodding mosquitoes were too annoying even at night. As much as Astra tried to relax after her watching turn, her mind didn’t let her. In the morning, she longed for the comfort she had experienced all the other nights when she spent time with Etro. 

The air was moist, but they all felt as though they were freezing. To get to the treasure marked on the map, they had to get past a stream and a waterfall. Monsters lingered near, but they all made quick work of them together. Even with the heat their bodies produced in the fight, the cold water sent chills down their spines. There was a bit of climbing to get to the path Ignis intended to take, but the vines from the jungle made it easy. As soon as they reached the elevated level, they entered a small narrow cave. There was no point in protesting the passage through the cave; there was nowhere else to go. Slowly, the narrow cave widened to reveal a plain of land ahead. There were crushed and fallen trees near the entrance, but Astra didn’t care. She could see the blue sky and smell the fresh air.

“Man, am I glad to be out of there,” sighed Prompto.

“Don’t speak too soon,” warned Gladio.

A distant roar erupted as they exited the cave, and a giant wide-jawed beast appeared. Smoke fumed from the beast’s body, and every step felt like a small tremor. It had a long and heavy tail that swung every which way, uncaring of the damage it caused to the once lively part of the forest. Astra could recognize the beast as a Bandersnatch. They could all see the fuming beast, but more importantly, they could see the Royal Tomb behind it.

“Not so glad anymore,” moaned Prompto.

“Not surprised either,” admitted Noctis right before lunging forward to attack without warning.

Ignis noticed Astra’s disappointed gaze and nudged her shoulder as he summoned his dual daggers, “Not so much fun when you’re not the first one rushing head in?”

The Bandersnatch was a ferocious beast with fire elemental strength. It was large yet fast, considering its size. Its skin was coarse like stone and its various tusks, extending from its jaw, served as its defense and offense. Fortunately for them, Bandersnatchs were monsters favored by fairy tales, and even children in Lucis knew its weaknesses: polearms and lightning.  They all fought accordingly as Iris provided support with potions. The beast turned erratically and swung its tail to create havoc. Gladio summoned his shield and took the blunt of the tail’s hit. The beast momentarily lost its balance and taking advantage of the moment, Astra and Ignis slid underneath its belly and summoned their polearms, piercing its underside with additional lightning damage.  The two drew forward every ounce of their strength and pierced their polearms further into the beast, lifting it as Gladio helped by pulling on its tail to flop the beast on its side. The beast couldn’t help but fall on its side as planned. Once done, Ignis and Astra hurried away because close behind them both Prompto and Noctis had summoned their heavy weapons to rain hellfire on the beast’s exposed weak spot. 

The beast writhed and screamed out of pain due to its slow death, swinging its tail erratically. Gladio steered clear of the tail that grew to be more than one person could handle and pushed Iris out of the way of the beast’s range. Using what little strength it had left, the beast slowly began the effort to stand back up on all of its four legs, protecting its targeted weak spot. Astra summoned her polearm. She felt the power coursing through her body— felt it flow into her veins and concentrate in the arm that held her weapon. Her body steadied and prepared itself. The actions persisted but failed to inform her mind of what was about to happen. It was like being a passenger inside one’s own body. Without letting go of her weapon, Astra warped towards the beast faster than she had ever been and released the power that had been building inside of her. The beast died before getting the chance to fall. Now sucked out of her daze, Astra saw the marks in the dirt that showed where the impact had landed and pushed the beast away. It was suddenly very silent.

“How the hell did you do that?” asked Noctis, killing the silence.

Ignis approached Astra first as the rest followed, “You know that using that much power for a singular hit is not only foolish but also dangerous.”

“No, I…” Astra glanced down at her hair, expecting to see more silver, and yet it remained the same. Ignis was right. She couldn’t use such a concentrated amount of power; otherwise, her health would suffer. But, this time it didn’t. Her body didn’t feel stiff or tired. Her thoughts flowed, but her attention was caught on a single bird that flew into view. Its blue feathered body appeared familiar. It rested on top of a woman’s extended finger— Etro’s finger. Astra hadn’t seen where she came from but had learned to stop being surprised at her sudden appearances.

Astra looked away from Etro and to her friends, “My body moved on its own— on instinct. Sorry.”

“You don’t feel sick?” asked Prompto, still not buying it. “Or just weird?”

“No,” lied Astra.

“Now that you mention it,” Ignis observed Astra, surprised at what appeared to be her perfect health. “Have you taken your pills at all recently?”

The realization hit Astra, “No… I haven’t. I didn’t even realize it. My body feels fine.”

Astra couldn’t remember the last time she took any sort of pill. Her body hadn’t felt the absence of the helping medicine. It could be chalked off to the potions Ignis had occasionally slipped into her food, but potions had never produced such lasting effects for Astra. Iris watched Astra’s eyes glance between her friends, just as confused as the rest of them. Iris was observing her, and she wasn’t very subtle about it.

Noticing everyone was now staring at her, Iris finally spoke with a small laugh, “Sorry, I was just looking at your eyes. They looked different for a moment. They really shine when you’re fighting.”

Iris laughed, attempting to lighten the mood, and Astra, along with everyone else, smiled, having taken it as a compliment. But only Prompto remained inquisitive and unsure, wondering if maybe he hadn’t imagined what he saw back in the caves of Faciaugh Hollow. 

The ride out of Malmalam Thicket and to Cape Caem was quiet. It was probably due to their not-so-comfortable sleeping quarters from last night. This time, Astra was back sitting between Gladio and Noctis due to Noctis' odd persistence on the matter; Iris was back on her brother’s lap. Fortunately for the Amicitia, the ride wouldn’t be long. Astra felt free to rest her eyes, like most of the others in the car. She thought— hoped she’d be able to fall asleep and meet with Etro in the other realm. There were questions Astra needed answered, and it wasn’t easy getting answers from a cryptic goddess. 

Iris’ voice sounded gentle, “Smells like there’s salt in the air.”

Her voice drew Astra’s eyes open. Astra could hear the distant sea waves and turned to look. It was the first time she’d ever seen the sea in the day. She couldn’t get a good look; Iris' body and the trees scattered alongside the road obstructed her view. And even then, from afar, its beauty was undeniable. 

“It’s beautiful,” said Iris in an almost whisper.

Astra found herself looking away from the sea she had so much wanted to see. She looked at the blonde sitting in the passenger seat— the same blonde who was already looking straight at her as if he already expected her to look at him. The sea Astra had been wanting to see so much was a simple glance away, but she found herself unable to look away. His smile was soft, complimenting his rosy cheeks, and a similar smile grew on her face as she felt a warmth rise in her chest. Prompto turned back around to face the sea and pulled out his camera. He snapped a few shots, changing the angle now and then, and still she didn’t look away from him. There was something oddly personal and intimate about watching a person when they weren’t looking— watching them smile as they enjoyed the simple pleasures of life. Such moments were scarce in her life but valued and loved nonetheless.

Iris turned to Astra suddenly with a smirk, “So, we know about boyfriends, but what about your first ki—”

“We’re not going there.” Gladio immediately covered Iris’ entire face with his large hand in an effort to silence her, 

Astra ignored her words with a small laugh. They finally arrived at Cape Caem not long after. It was situated on a tall cliff which also served as the tip of a peninsula. There was a worn lighthouse, overlooking the sea Cape Caem rested beside. Having parked the car in an open lot of land at the foot of the cliff, Ignis and the other disembarked. There was really no kind of life. The outpost felt more forgotten than abandoned. There was a sole vendor with their truck who was parked in the same lot of land they’d left the Regalia; they probably only sold to passing travelers and didn’t live at Cape Caem. On the same lot, there was a single Rent-A-Bird kiosk and a familiar large yellow tow truck with Hammerhead’s garage logo on the door. The group slowly made their way up the forested cliff. They followed a dirt path uphill and found the familiar mechanic they’d expected to find.

“Knew it was y’all,” sang Cindy. “I’d recognize the purr of that engine anywhere!”

Astra smiled, “How’s the boat?”

“Sounds like it’ll be a long talk. I’ll go see Talcott first,” said Iris as she waved goodbye and went her way.

Leading them further up the hill, Cindy enjoyed the small talk, “Paw-paw is tinkering away an’ probably will be for some time.”

“Trouble at sea?” asked Ignis.

“The ol’ boat’s certainly seen her fair share. Some can be fixed, but others need replacing,” answered Cindy.

Noctis chimed in, “If there’s anything you need.”

“Was hoping you’d say that. Parts don’t fetch themselves,” continued Cindy. “Truth is, we’ve already got some hands-on-deck: Monica an’ Dustin. Been reel swell, an’ they’ve helped gettin’ just about everythin’ we need. But they’ve had trouble locating a certain somethin’ called mythril. The little fella says it’s hard to come by.”

“Talcott?” asked Prompto.

“You betcha! That one’s sharp as a tack, I’ll say,” answered Cindy. “Could probably tell y’all more about it than I could.”

“We’ll be sure to ask,” said Noctis.

“Well, anyway, Paw-paw’s down at the docks. I gotta get my tools and skedaddle on out of here. Girl’s got a garage to look after.”

Astra gave Cindy another hug, “Wish this moment would have lasted a little longer, but I know you’re a very busy woman. Take care.”

Cindy walked backward whilst waving goodbye to her friends after their short-lived reunion. Something told Astra that it would be the last time she saw her friend for a while and that most reunions would probably be the same in the future. They were getting closer to their goal which meant good news but also scared Astra. They all slowly made their way further up the hill until Noctis stopped in his tracks, staring at an old and abandoned house on the side. Astra stood alongside her brother and observed the simple home. A small figure appeared to run out the front door and jump with a wide smile at the sight of them.

“Prince Noctis! Princess Astra!” The young Talcott couldn’t hide the happiness in his voice. “Our house is over here! This way!”

Along with the others, Astra found herself following Noctis who lightly jogged his way over to Talcott. The young boy patiently waited, attempting to compose himself for the arrival of the royal siblings. Once they got closer, Talcott walked down the stairs of the house’s entrance as Iris stood close behind. The boy slightly bowed before bringing himself to look either sibling in the eye.

“I’m sure Miss Cindy told you about how rare the ore called mythril is and that it’s needed to fix the boat,” explained Talcott as clearly as possible. “Remember the waterfall? I read in Grandpa's book that there are some ruins near a lake north of there. It’s said that the mythril can be found inside!”

“You are a walking and talking encyclopedia, aren’t you?” asked Astra with a smile.

“It’s all thanks to Grandpa.” Talcott smiled gently. “We have a spot for him on the other side of the cliff…”

Noctis spoke gently, “We’ll be sure to stop by.”

They each settled into the worn house that Talcott and Iris would reside in for the indefinite future. Of course, they’d made sure to pay their respects to the late Jared Hester at his grave. Noctis’ heart faltered at the sight of his simple and makeshift headstone. Jared deserved more— deserved better. But the love and dedication felt for Jared could be felt even then with the way each letter was carved and every flower that lay at its feet. As Cindy mentioned, Monica and Dustin were also there, having accompanied Talcott. They did their best to treat the group like guests and didn’t even let Ignis into the kitchen to cook. It wasn’t like Ignis lamented it; instead, he enjoyed the fact he didn’t have to cook that day. 

The home was surprisingly lively. Astra thought it could be due to the number of people, but it was obvious that it was Talcott’s energetic and perky character that brought life to the home. Ironically, Gladio was the quietest among them that night despite his love for children and Talcott specifically. However, it wasn’t odd for him to retreat into his thoughts every now and then. He’d say it was because a man needed his space, but everyone who knew him knew better.

The rooms were more than big enough, and they each got their own beds. For the first time in forever, none of them had to deal with touching feet with another; it was a wonderful feeling. Talcott appeared overjoyed as he presented the room to them and the view it offered them. Accompanied by Prompto and Talcott, Noctis watched the sea from the dusty window as the rest of them settled in the mini-living room inside the room. They played cards and even King’s Knight with Iris and Talcott. The night felt long as the room filled with laughter. Talcott was the first to fall asleep; Gladio carried him to his bed as Iris led the way. The room they were in was big but not didn’t have enough beds. Astra rested elsewhere with Iris. The two girls shared idle talk as sleep slowly entered their minds, eventually rendering their world silent.

“About the lake Talcott mentioned, I’m pretty sure that’s the Vesperpool,” said Iris as they walked out the house’s front door. “I asked Monica about it, and apparently, the road leading there is under imperial lockdown.”

“Yeah, just give us a second,” said Gladio.

Iris nodded, appearing to understand. “Okay. I’ll be inside then.”

She planted a soft kiss on Gladio’s cheek as he hugged her tightly with a single-arm, attempting to not appear as doting. Then, she left, leaving the five alone.

“So, yeah. Gonna have to ask you to handle this on your own this time,” said Gladio.

“Say what?” asked Prompto just as shocked as the rest of them.

Gladio shrugged nonchalantly, “Got some business of my own to deal with.”

“Do your thing, I guess. Not like we could stop you,” said Noctis, glancing at his friends.

“You know me too well,” laughed Gladio. “I’ll meet up with you guys soon enough.”

That was the big man’s goodbye. It was such a simple goodbye that you’d think he was only going off into town for a few days, but they all knew better. Gladio smiled as he turned around and walked his merry way away from them. Astra ran up to Gladio from behind and walked alongside him, unwilling to part with him just yet.

“I know that I’m not as experienced,” said Gladio. “But, I’m not a baby you need to worry about, Astra.”

Astra smiled, “It’s not that. I just wanted to know…is this because of Ravus?”

“This is about me.” Gladio sighed but didn’t look her way. “But yeah, you could say that too.”

“Honestly, I get it. I’ve been where you are,” said Astra.

“And look at you now.” Gladio finally met her gaze. “So, you know why I have to do this.”

It was early in the morning, and Astra hadn’t expected Gladio to not join them on their journey. Gladio took his role as Shield very seriously, especially since it was an Amicitia tradition his father died completing. She knew that leaving wasn’t easy for him, and it took a lot of thinking. Once Gladio had set his mind to it, there was no point in trying to talk him out of it. It was a quality the two shared, and so she did understand better than anyone. Gladio messed with Astra’s hair with his hand, and this time, Astra didn’t complain even as she sighed. Using her hands, she combed her hair back into place as she watched Gladio leave. A familiar white-haired woman approached Astra’s side as she continued staring off into the distant figure that no longer resembled Gladio.

“He will return safe,” said Etro.

“Is this divine premonition?” asked Astra sarcastically. 

“It is his destiny set by the stars.”

“And what of Noctis’?”

Etro gazed gently at Astra’s eyes which appeared to be filled with scorn and misery, “His fate is unknown to even himself, and that is the way it must be for now.”

“For now? And then what? Lead him to the slaughter like some sacrificial lamb—”

“No!”

That was the first time Etro had ever raised her voice. The goddess' purple eyes shone brightly, and the hair she neatly tucked behind her ears fell out of place. It felt like she’d commanded the world to silence. Even the ocean’s waves and the birds’ songs were unheard. It was also the first moment Astra feared her. She felt silly to have forgotten that the woman was a god that could wreak havoc like any other without restraint. Etro closed her eyes and slowed her breathing. Astra could once again hear the ocean’s splashing waves against the rocky coast.

“No,” said Etro once again but in a whisper. “That’s not what I want.”

Astra felt a lump in her throat, “And the others? What do they want?”

Etro didn’t speak, and that was enough of an answer for Astra. She felt her eyes burn and blinked away the tears that attempted to spill. It felt horrible to know that the same gods Noctis begged for approval were the same hypocritical gods that would send him to his doom. Etro felt her pain and didn’t hide her teary eyes. Astra didn’t understand her. The woman before her was a goddess forgotten by history and time, yet she appeared to Astra and appeared to truly want to help her.

“I don’t care what the gods want or think,” said Astra, allowing her sorrow and anger to quiet. “I’m going to destroy Noctis’ destiny even if I have to kill the stars to do it—”

“Astra!”

The princess turned to the voice that called her. Her brother stood alone. 

Noctis stared at her inquisitively, “Who are you talking to?”

“I—” Astra glanced at Etro who remained standing beside her and hesitantly gave him a sorrowful smile. “I was just talking to myself.”

Astra spared Etro one last look before turning her attention back to her brother as she walked uphill to him. Etro stayed behind, watching the siblings converse. The goddess looked up past to the blue sky and clouds and to the stars unseen by others. She read them for a sign of change— for a sign of hope. A bird’s song grew closer, and its blue-feather body caught Etro’s attention. The small bird rested in Etro’s warm hands as she gently caressed its body. The anxiety remained evident in her eyes, but she looked past the small bird and into her memories.

“How much more suffering must they endure for you to be satisfied, brother?”

Chapter Text

The road called back to them, and they answered. The group departed Cape Caem not long after Gladio left and continued their journey without the trusted Royal Shield. Ignis drove the three North; their destination was Vesperpool, a large lake in the northern Cleigne area. The ride was smooth for the most part, but they didn’t allow themselves to get too comfortable. According to Iris, the road leading to Vesperpool was under imperial lockdown, and they probably wouldn’t open their gates as easily as they did when the Niflheim chancellor was with them. They weren’t sure just when they’d encounter the closed gates or the preceding gunfire, so they kept an eye open at all times. Now, imagine their surprise when the closed gates opened before them, allowing them to pass through with no sign of imperial enemies to stop them.

“Wait— what happened to ‘under imperial lockdown’?” asked Prompto, voicing everyone’s confusion.

“They opened the doors as if they were expecting our arrival,” said Ignis without stopping the car.

Prompto’s brows furrowed, “And if anyone’s waiting, I bet it’s that guy.”

“Not sure how I feel about his help,” said Noctis. “I mean, he’s letting us in.”

“But will he let us out?” asked Astra.

“We best continue with care, especially since we’re a man down,” sighed Ignis. “If only the Marshall were here.”

“Pretty sure he put his tomb search on hold to accompany Gladio,” added Astra.

“Guess we don’t have to worry about those two,” smiled Noctis. “No rest for the ‘Immortal’.”

Vesperpool was devoid of human life. Its only inhabitants were monsters and daemons or at least, that’s what they wished it only were. Even from a distance, they could see the magitek engines that dispatched their metal soldiers. Rugged trees decorated themselves briefly alongside the lake’s coastline and further into the distance, past their line of sight. The terrain consisted of muddy soil, and boulders of all shapes and sizes were scattered across the land like confetti.

Ignis managed to find the closest thing to a parking spot near a runed campsite. The site was surrounded by rather large boulders and proper shade of trees, and not too far off, they found a chocobo Rent-A-Bird kiosk, probably a courtesy from past inhabitants. They’d already spent most of the day traveling to Vesperpool; the sun had begun to set.

“We could always make camp,” said Prompto as they all slipped out of the car. “Start again in the morning.”

“The intel says Steyliff Grove is a mere walking distance away,” informed Ignis. “But the choice is still Noct’s.”

Noctis turned to Astra, awaiting her opinion.

“This is your retinue. Your choice,” answered Astra honestly. Noctis rolled his eyes; Astra had no desire to continue influencing his decisions. She wasn’t always going to be around, and Noctis had to learn that he was more capable of making these decisions without. Nonetheless, Astra spoke her thoughts. “We can go now. Scout the area, but it doesn’t mean we have to go in just yet.”

The young prince took a moment to process the idea and nodded his head, “Yeah. We’ll do that. With Gladio gone, it’s better safe than sorry.”

“Then can we rent a few chocobos?” asked Prompto without missing a beat.

“Let’s be honest, Prompto,” sighed Noctis with a small smile. “When do we ever say no?”

Astra could feel the lowering of the temperature with the setting of the sun. She glanced towards the horizon and blinded herself in the split second she tried looking at the sun. She always found it ironic how the sun felt the brightest and most blinding when it was setting. The group rode their chocobos to venture throughout the terrain. Silence was filled by the clomping of the chocobos’ feet, the beast's distant moanings, and the sound of the wind in the trees. Some of the beasts weren’t friendly, but as long as they didn’t overstep, there was no need to fight. It was a peaceful evening. Too peaceful, considering the empire most likely lurked close by.

A familiar blue bird flew into view and circled around Astra and the others. Her eyes followed the bird instinctively and watched as it landed in the palms of Etro’s two hands. Asta still couldn’t figure out what Etro’s appearances meant. A thought appeared to the princess, and it made her smirk at the possibility that maybe she had just finally lost it. One too many hits to the head could do that. She brought her gaze— that had unconsciously wavered— back to Etro. The goddess did not smile or frown; her expression remained indifferent as she watched from afar.

“It’s a pretty bird, right?” Prompto suddenly asked.

Astra immediately looked at Prompto, having felt her heart skip a beat, “What?”

“The bird,” smiled Prompto. “It’s pretty. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that one before.”

“You can see the bird?”

Prompto furrowed his brows but continued smiling, “Yeah? I mean, it’s a blue bird. Kinda stands out, don’t you think?”

Astra looked back at Etro and the bird. Etro still held the small bird in her hands. She was sure of it; neither the goddess nor the bird was far enough for her to doubt her sight.

“And you only see the bird?” asked Astra “Nothing else?”

Prompto’s smile slowly faded into a complete look of concern, “Am I missing something else?”

By now, Astra felt as though her heart was pounding in her head instead of her chest. Astra had first thought that the bird was a part of the same hallucination Etro was, but the fact that Prompto was able to see the bird disproved that theory. And yet, Etro was an existence that Prompto or anyone else couldn’t observe but was still able to interact with the living bird. Astra didn’t know what this meant other than maybe she wasn’t losing it. 

“Something wrong?” called Ignis.

Both Prompto and Astra turned to look at Ignis who was with Noctis further ahead of them. Astra hadn’t noticed when they’d fallen behind. She thought about running off alone toward Etro but found her gone when she turned to look at her again.

“No,” said Astra after taking a breath to calm herself. “Just admiring the wildlife.”

Astra continued on the path and walked toward Ignis and Noctis who awaited her and Prompto. Prompto followed close behind but couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something else going on with Astra. But the blonde could not bring himself to voice his concerns once again and was only left with the option to smile.

Steyliff Grove was a dungeon located near the coastline of Vesperpool’s lake. As they grew closer to their destination, they found a path they could follow, littered alongside the remnant ruins of a lost civilization. They followed the ruins and paths that remained intertwined with each other, both leading to the same place. Water began to rise, and the chocobos’ steps began to sound heavier as the lake’s water reached their feet. They wouldn’t be able to take the birds much further and were ready to leave them to continue on foot. Then, Noctis stopped the entire group from following him without warning. They’d reached what appeared to be two pillars of what was once a gateway, but Noctis still didn’t dismount. Astra and the others moved their bird to the side to see the view Noctis stared at so intently in silence and found someone they all had once considered killing.

“Gentlemen! Lady!” sang Ardyn with a slight bow. “What a pleasant surprise!”

Prompto neared his bird toward Astra and whispered, “I knew he’d be waiting.”

“And with my imperial friends, no less,” added Ardyn, surprising Prompto.

The four dismounted from their companion birds and approached the Imperial Chancellor on foot, still maintaining distance and care. Ardyn undoubtedly felt and saw Astra’s glare, but he still acted normally with a smile and a pep in his step. 

“You needn’t worry, though. I’ll make sure to put in a good word, regardless of our previous experience ,” said Ardyn to Astra. “Well, come along then.”

Ardyn began to walk with his usual sway until he realized that no one was following him. He turned around, taking a moment to observe everyone’s expression, then followed with a polite smile. 

“Your apprehension is most reasonable, considering you’re now a quartet— oh, sorry. It’s probably a sore subject, isn’t it?” asked Ardyn, attempting to sound apologetic.

“What it is is none of your business,” replied Astra coldly.

Ardyn sighed at the sight of Astra. He attempted to approach the princess, but Noctis held no hesitation to place himself between the man and his sister. The Imperial Chancellor slightly nodded as he stepped away from the siblings.

Ardyn spoke gently, “I understand the cold reception despite my attempt to help. As a matter of fact, I’m quite thankful, really, to our dear princess. I’m sure it must take great effort to not make another attempt on my life—”

Astra took a step forward. She was entirely sure herself what she intended to do, but she felt that the idea would come to her once she was closer to Ardyn. Maybe she’d try wrapping her hands around his neck like she’d been fantasizing or maybe she would just bring him to his knees. In the end, none of it was possible. Having served earlier as a deterrent to the enemy chancellor, Noctis stretched out his hand to deter Astra from approaching Ardyn. She took heed and stopped in her tracks, but her murderous eyes didn’t blink away from Ardyn who continued smiling nonchalantly.

“In any case, maybe it’s best we talk of the reason you are all here. Certainly not archeology, then it must be…mythril, perhaps?” asked Ardyn.

The Chancellor smiled and turned his back to them as he continued walking the path from earlier. The four others looked at each other for confirmation. Astra reluctantly agreed to the thought they’d been telepathically discussing and followed Noctis who followed the Imperial Chancellor.

“Mythril is a valuable resource, you see,” explained Ardyn. “We can’t just let anyone get their hands on it.”

“‘We’ as in the empire?” asked Prompto.

A quiet chuckle escaped Ardyn, “Well, yes. There isn’t much of a government structure left after all.”

“And whose fault is that,” whispered Astra to herself.

Noctis looked back to Astra who could no longer bear to even look at Ardyn. It was the only way to keep her murderous desire in control. Noctis wanted the same— to strike the man down where he stood. But, he knew there was a method to this man’s riddled madness, and Noctis was going to make sure to have it solved before being done with him.

“But you’ll help us get ours on it?” asked Noctis.

Ardyn gasped sarcastically and followed it with a laugh, “I never said that. I thought you’d rather dig it up yourselves since I know I’ve been deemed as an untrustworthy neighbor.”

Ardyn led them to their original destination: Steyliff Grove. Imperial soldiers and shipments were scattered across the main entrance, and two guards stood guard. 

“I will be just a moment,” said Ardyn before leaving to speak with the guards.

Prompto glared at the man as he walked away, “But doing what?”

“I don’t know, but we’re pretty much in enemy territory right now. We should—” Astra cut herself off as someone Ardyn was talking to caught her eye. “Oh, hell no.”

Ardyn turned toward the group smiling with unsettling eagerness, “All clear. Go ahead!”

The four walked over to Ardyn who stood by the two guards and another familiar individual— a woman with silver-blond hair and clothed in leather. She was sighing and pinching the bridge of her nose in disagreement until she laid eyes on Astra and her group. The woman couldn’t help the smirk that grew on her face.

“Well, well. So, You’re the “new recruits” sent over for “special training,” huh?” asked Aranea, attempting to hide her obvious joy at their current situation. “Nice cover for runaway royalty.”

Noctis looked over to Astra. They all knew Ardyn couldn’t be trusted but weren’t sure of what to expect from the mercenary Astra herself couldn’t seem to decide to hate or like.

“At ease, “recruits.” There’s nothing in it for this ex-mercenary to turn you in,” assured Aranea. “Besides, I don’t have the habit of betraying those who place their trust in me. Although, I can’t say the same for others.”

Aranea’s eyes momentarily glanced at Ardyn who replied with a heavy gaze of his own. Astra could feel the burden of their silent conflict over her shoulder. The smile on Ardyn’s face twitched as if he were in pain, but he still continued his facade.

“Anyways, I trust you’ll be civil, Commodore Aranea Highwind. I leave them to you,” said Ardyn before he took a final bow and waltzed away as usual.

Astra could feel her body ease itself at the loss of Ardyn’s presence, and she was sure it was obvious to everyone, including Aranea. Aranea looked up at the sun, almost entirely hidden by the horizon. 

“You’ll have to wait until the sun has entirely set. The doors will only open then,” mentioned Aranea.

Prompto glanced at the horizon, “Then we won’t have to wait long. That is… if we’re sure we want to head in now?”

“We’ll stick to the plan: finish scouting tomorrow, rest for today,” decided Noctis.

The group returned to their desolate camp to rest for the night. It was what Astra wanted. Restraining her murderous instincts for the short time she was in Ardyn’s presence had tired her, but she could have never brought herself to ask everyone to postpone their mission simply because she wasn’t feeling well. Yet, Noctis made the call on his own without even attempting to guess Astra’s opinion. Maybe there was no need to because he already knew.

Aranea had joined them for the night. It was a passing comment Ignis made that Prompto endorsed. It was, however, Astra’s apprehension that led Aranea to join them. That mercenary always did love teasing Astra, and she was probably one of the few who could. The five rested peacefully at their camp where Aranea made herself at home. It appeared the others warmed up to her quite easily. Aranea was, after all, a charming woman. Despite her original apprehension, Astra also made herself comfortable around the mercenary.

“I’ve gotta hand it to you, Four Eyes,” said Aranea as she savored her last bite of food. “You are one hell of a cook. What do you think about sticking around as my men’s chef? You’ll get a good pay.”

Ignis couldn’t hide his pride, “A tempting offer.”

“Get your own!” insisted Noctis. “This one’s mine. I’ve got him on royal retainer.”

Astra laughed quietly to herself. It appeared a part of Noctis truly believed Aranea was more than capable of stealing Ignis away, and Ignis’ comment most likely worsened the feeling. Laughing felt foreign at that moment. Perhaps she’d been frowning for too long throughout the day because her quiet laugh caught the attention of Aranea even from across the crackling fire they all huddled around.

“Take a picture. It’ll last longer,” complained Astra.

Aranea used her fingers to frame Astra as her subject, “Now, that’s a tempting offer. But unfortunately, I don’t carry a phone.”

“I’ve got several photos of Astra to spare,” mentioned Prompto.

“Don’t even think about it!” shot back Astra.

Aranea laughed grandly at Astra’s reaction. The princess combed her hair back as she sighed, realizing how she’d continuously played the role the teasing Aranea had desired. Noctis and the others observed the strange relationship shared between the two women. Astra’s disdain for anything imperial was usually consistent and obvious, yet Aranea’s existence seemed to break the pattern. Yet, Astra’s approval of Aranea was evident and in constant struggle against her underlying habit of imperial contempt.

“How did the two of you even meet?” asked Prompto.

The laughter died, and smiles faded. It took Prompto a moment to realize what exactly he had asked.

“Well, on the battlefield, obviously.” Aranea responded with her usual flair, not wanting to sullen the mood. “Gotta admit thought. We were all pretty surprised when we saw the princess on the battlefield and not this prince.”

Noctis slowly turned to look Aranea in the eyes. His confusion shined clear in his eyes. He looked at Astra for answers as he always did, but Astra couldn’t bring herself to give him what he desired.

“What do you mean by ‘prince’?” asked Prompto, just as confused as Noctis. “Wasn’t Astra always going to the battlefront?”

Aranea furrowed her brow, “Our intel told us to expect the baby brother— that it’d been decided by the Royal Council of Lucis. But we never really learned why it was her who arrived.”

All eyes looked to Astra, hoping she could quell their curiosity. Astra willed herself to look into Noctis’ eyes. She could see her brother assuming the burden of fault behind her action; in that sense, the twins were most alike. The two were groomed to be dependable and responsible from a young age, and they felt this burden most with each other. Maybe it was because they were of royal blood or because they were left without a mother from a young age. The reasons could be many, and she was sure poets and doctors would one day love to dissect their stories. But what would happen one day wasn’t what mattered now. What mattered now was Noctis.

“It’s true,” finally answered Astra. “But I didn’t do it just for you.”

Noctis leaned forward, still confused but attentive nonetheless. This was a sentiment shared by the others as well. Despite their camping in the middle of the wilderness, it felt as though she could no longer hear the distant humming of insects in the night. It was as if the whole world had quieted to hear the story she had never brought herself to say aloud. 

“If I had to choose one word: treason,” sighed Astra. She stared into the fire as if she could see her past memories play out before her. “I was 17. The war had begun to drastically affect Insomnia. Our economy was on the brink of collapse. And if we had it bad, we knew those beyond our walls were off worse. The war had drawn out further than anyone expected, and tensions were high. Citizens and politicians alike were beginning to doubt the King’s leadership.”

Astra could see Noctis’ entire body react to her words. His eyes no longer look at her but instead at a spot on the ground his eyes squinted at. Even across the fire and dim lighting, she could see the white and red from how hard he clenched his hands together. This was a story she once thought she'd have to carry as a secret to her grave, but that was before everything fell apart. 

“Things were especially tense with the refugees. Many had been taken in as Glaives, expecting to be properly awarded, but with dwindling resources, we continuously fell short. People inevitably began to think that Insomnians truly didn’t care for those outside our walls or the refugees we’d taken in; more specifically, they thought the King didn’t care.” The cold of the night felt comforting to the heat Astra felt emanating within, and the howling of the wind seemed to carry Astra’s words into the night void like a confession. “Whispers began to circulate of his apparent inadequacy to rule, blaming him for the war in its entirety. They wanted strength and power— new blood without straying far from tradition.”

Aranea was the first to understand, “They wanted Noctis on the throne?”

“If only... They wanted Noctis dead. A traitorous sect had formed calling for a new power to rule, but they didn’t approve of Noctis. He had spent most of his youth like any normal child, and as my father’s chosen heir, they feared he’d rule like him. But I was... experienced, to say the least, and I was—” A cynical laugh left Astra as she combed her hair back, and soon after, her head bowed down slightly with what appeared to be out of shame. “I am not like my father. And that was enough for them. They came to me, telling me of how I deserved to sit on the throne and how they’d make sure I did but left out the details of where they planned to murder my family... They demanded my father send Lucis’ heir to the battlefront once he was of age to prove that the royal family truly cared for the people and refugees— to make us understand the struggles they faced that we could never imagine. In reality, it was just a ploy to have Noctis’ fall in battle, leaving room for only one possible heir. And my father? Chances were they wouldn’t have even needed to poison him. Grief would have done the job for them.”

Astra allowed a moment of silence before speaking again, “By the time we found out, it was too late. Word had spread across the land that Lucis’ heir would join the war; revoking this decision would only make matters worse. So, I did what I had to.” The princess looked to her brother who could only bring himself to glance at her. “Their plan would not only take the lives of my family but also the lives of the countless people sworn to protect them. So, I snuck off to the frontlines without telling anyone. Not Ignis. Not Noctis. Not even my father. And in the end, the people didn’t care—not as long as there was a Lucian royal on the frontlines.”

Doing his best to maintain his usual indifferent demeanor, Noctis turned to Ignis, “How did I never know about this?” 

“Don’t blame Ignis. Only a select few knew at the beginning, and I made Ignis swear he wouldn’t say anything and to make sure you never found out the truth,” answered Astra. “Not until I could bring myself to say it to you directly.”

“But you never really planned to... Did you?” Such a simple question felt heavy when spoken as Noctis finally raised his eyes to look at his sister. “Why did you have to hide it at all!?”

Astra smiled sincerely with furrowed brows, “It was your last year at school— the last year you’d be able to live your life as Noctis and not as Lucis’ heir, and I just… I didn’t want anyone to take that from you—”

Noctis stood up without warning. His eyes wandered to his feet as his curled fists rested at his sides. Astra opened her mouth to speak once again, but he left before she could ever get a sound out. Only silence remained behind Noctis’ departure. Prompto was still processing all that had been said while Ignis only stared into the fire, bearing the similar burden Astra did. 

Aranea felt tense and out of place. Her and her men had often wondered and guessed different reasons as to why the great Lucian princess had been brought out to fight at the frontlines. They created all sorts of crazy theories to pass the time and even turned it into a joke of sorts. Aranea first expected Astra to be like so many other snobby and sheltered nobles she’d met, but life had a special way of working. And now, she sat amongst her nation’s most wanted and dangerous enemies, and she liked them in a way a commodore of the imperial army wasn't allowed to.

The imperial commodore sat still in quiet. There were no words of comfort she could give Astra even if she could understand her struggle in the slightest. How could she? As a mercenary working for Nifleheim, she was partly to blame for her pain. Even thinking of the words made Aranea feel hypocritical and patronizing. 

Astra finally found the strength in her legs to stand. She walked away from the camp without saying a word, but there was no need to. Everyone already knew where she was headed. Vesperpool’s lake wasn’t far from their camp, and that’s where Astra knew to go. Her path was lit by the small body light they all carried when it grew dark. She knew there were no beasts or daemons lurking nearby; she would have heard them before even seeing them.

Following the traces of footsteps in the dirt, Astra finally arrived at her destination. Before her was a short ramp leading further into the lake to allow fishing. As expected, there she found Noctis, sitting at the very end while facing the lake. She knew he could sense her before the echo of her footsteps made it to his ear, but even then, he didn’t turn around to see her. As she grew closer, Astra noticed that Noctis wasn’t looking at the lake but the reflection of the moon on its surface. A part of her wondered why he didn’t simply look up to observe the moon directly but maybe he simply lacked the strength to raise his head to look forward.

Astra settled herself beside her brother, also observing the reflection of the moon in the water. His thoughts were most likely filled with guilt and worry for both Astra and Luna, and she knew how often he felt helpless whenever it came to the two. Neither of them spoke, and it wasn’t because they didn’t know what to say. The problem was quite the opposite, and they didn’t know where to even begin. 

Finally breaking their silence, Noctis spoke, “So, Ignis knew the real reason you left all along?”

Astra nodded her head but noticed Noctis still wasn’t looking her way, “Yeah.”

“And Gladio?”

“He learned on his own sometime after.”

Noctis tightly held his hands together, struggling to conjure the words he wished to speak, “Was I that unreliable that I couldn’t—”

Astra interrupted, “What? No, I never—”

But Noctis could no longer stop himself from saying everything he had held in for so long, “—I know that I didn’t exactly inspire confidence—”

“—a normal life! It had nothing to do with your behavior—”

“—but I could have taken it or even helped—”

“—wasn’t your burden to carry, but mine alone. Yours was— is heavier—”

“—instead you left me behind and became the great Lucian hero!”

Noctis’ words echoed throughout the silence. She flinched at the sound of his words, feeling a strange sensation grow in her throat. He was finally looking at Astra in her eyes, and his determined stare pierced her.

“You have to know—” Astra whispered to him, fearing her voice would crack if she were any louder. “That’s not why I did it. You have to know that.”

“That’s not what I meant.” Noctis’ expression appeared to be just as pained as Astra felt. “And I know that. I know you.”

Noctis sighed away the shakiness of his voice and allowed a brief moment of silence for the two to gather their thoughts. The chill of the wind caressed their hot faces as some sort of consolation as they turned to each other with teary eyes.

“I know you didn’t want to be the hero. The perfect daughter. The perfect princess. But I know that… I know that you had to be. And for so long, I hated it— the way people were constantly sizing us up and comparing us to each other— the way they were pulling us apart.” Noctis looked back and forth between Astra and the reflection of the moon in the water, possibly as some sort of comfort and support like Luna always provided when they were younger. “I could have taken it. Anything! Except from you. You pulled away.”

It was the perfect time to say something or anything really, but for the first time in her life, Astra found herself unable to even conjure a sound. She could barely process her thoughts and emotions at the same time. All she could see was the pain she had put her brother in. She’d done so much in an attempt to save him from future suffering and loss, and yet, here he was, still suffering from loss. Her loss.

“I know you have your responsibilities and secrets you feel you need to carry alone,” continued Noctis. “But I’m not a little boy anymore, and now, this is my normal life. I don’t need to be left behind. Neither of us can do this alone. Not anymore .”

Astra felt the tears escape her eyes, but her face felt frozen— frozen with fear. She thought about the secrets she’d been letting pile inside her head and all the mysteries she had yet to understand herself. But most of all, she thought of the secret she learned on her 13th birthday. She thought back to that heartbreaking revelation and the curse the gods had placed on her unknowing brother. Astra could not bear the thought and much less imagined revealing the truth to her brother. If he knew—

If he knew .

He could never know.

“I can’t,” whispered Astra, still feeling the tears drip down her face. She watched as Noctis’ own teary eyes widened with surprise and betrayal. “I can’t.”

He didn’t say a single word and only wiped his tears as he stood up. He began to walk down the ramp, leaving Astra sitting alone. But she couldn’t let him go yet. She wanted and hoped he could at least understand why.

“I can’t, Noctis!” Astra yelled to her brother who stood dead in his tracks to listen to her final plea. “Secrets…protect us. They keep us safe.”

Noctis only turned his head to the side, not even as a reasonable attempt to meet Astra’s eyes, but she could still see the moon’s reflection on his watery eyes.

“I don’t need you to protect me anymore.”

He didn’t say anything else and walked away. Astra could not gather the strength she needed to stand and continued to sit by the lake, staring at her dark reflection in the water. The tears wouldn’t stop. He could never know of the gods’ cruel fate they’d thrust upon him. Even if she wanted to, they would have probably killed her right there and then to avoid tampering with Noctis’ fate. She knew that there was no other way. She knew that, and still, the tears never stopped.

Chapter Text

“I can sense your heavy heart.”

Astra turned to look at the owner of the voice that spoke to her: Etro. Astra could never tell when exactly she entered Etro’s mysterious domain or how much time she’d spent there. It was like being stuck in a weird lucid dream where such things were rendered trivial.

“Pretty sure it isn’t that hard for you though, is it?” retorted Astra.

The young princess observed the goddess who only frowned at her remark. In other cases, Astra would exercise the patience her father had tried so hard to instill into her, but she didn’t feel the necessary mercy to enact it. Astra hadn’t realized she was sitting on the ground until she found Etro looking down at her pitifully; she stood up unable to withstand her looming gaze.

“You’re gonna tell me you’re not using me?” Astra could feel her throat burn as she spoke and drew closer to Etro. "Cause that's what you gods do, right? Pick some poor unfortunate soul to do your bidding and call it the hero’s prophecy.”

Etro flinched at her words, “I’m not…I would never do that to you—”

“Then what are you doing? Why are you here?”

“The same reason you are.” Etro did her best to provide a comforting smile. “Eos is in danger— Noctis is in danger.”

“Don’t.” Astra shook her head as she slowly approached Etro. “You don’t get to say that. I was thirteen when I learned that Noctis…”

Astra’s voice caught itself. Her eyes appeared watery, but she refused to cry before Etro.

“When I learned that I couldn’t pray to the gods to save my brother because you were the ones who put him there,” said Astra with gritted teeth. “ You are the danger. You are the reason I—”

Astra cut herself off, unable to finish her sentence once again. The way she gazed at Etro was filled with conflicting emotions: guilt, rage, anguish, grief— there was so much she could see, and little she could say. Etro stood in place without saying a word or reaching for Astra, despite her innate desire to console her. The goddess was a compassionate deity, but she knew that her warmth wouldn’t be enough to thaw Astra’s heart. The claims the princess made were reasonable and honest, and they were also the reason Etro had ever approached her.

“I have enough secrets. Most of which have haunted me since I was a child,” said Astra in a quiet tone. “I don’t need yours.”

Etro felt her slipping away, “Astra, please—”

“Take your power back,” demanded Astra, surprising Etro. “I’d have to be a major fool to not notice the changes in my body and abilities that have happened since you entered my life.”

“Astra, you mustn't,” pleaded Etro as she held Astra’s hands in her own. “If I do this, you will—”

“It doesn’t matter!” Astra pulled her hands away from Etro’s grasp and stepped back away from her reach. The princess' scowl had faded into a look of pained determination. “I don’t need it just like I didn’t need it all those years ago. I got to where I am by my own strength, and I will drag myself to go forward if I need to. Without you .”

Etro’s brows were pulled up together in a look of worry, and her gaze did not leave Astra as she spoke in a quiet and gentle tone, “You will die.”

“On my terms.”

Astra could sense the goddess’ regret and doubts. She did not trust the deity, even if she felt that her concern was truthful. It didn’t matter to the princess. It was not within her to reap the benefits of an alliance with a god she did not trust.

“If you truly care, you will do this,” said Astra, taking Etro’s hands into her own. "And we will never see each other again."

Etro could no longer bear to look into Astras' eyes nor could she bring herself to leave her grasp. The goddess only nodded her head in silence even if it felt like the weight of the world rested on her, begging her not to.

Things were tense, to say the least. The two individuals with the heaviest presence were now pretending the other didn’t exist, and everyone else was left with the awkward consequences. Astra didn’t quite recall how the rest of her night went after her talk with Noctis. She wasn’t sure how to approach him or the matter itself after. Fortunately for her, the group had spent their day hunting down local beasts and monsters. Still, there were moments when danger crept and Noctis appeared just in time to save her. But even then, when Astra tried opening her mouth to thank him, no sound could come out, and Noctis would turn away as soon as he had appeared.

The day had felt long, and yet, night rose once again. As originally planned, Aranea accompanied them into the ruins. As they grew closer toward the dungeon’s entrance, they noticed the strange design pattern had begun to glow red. Noctis turned to look at Astra out of habit, expecting to have some sort of odd information she discovered in an obscure book she read as a child,  but quickly looked away once he noticed his actions. Aranea informed them the empire theorized that the ruins belonged to Solheim, the country whose technology and research provided the foundation for Niflheim. It certainly explained the eeriness of the dungeon’s ruins. The doors which were previously closed during daylight were now open, allowing them all to waltz into the unknown.  Upon entering, the group was met with what appeared to be an endless set of stairs that only led down. But they did end as does everything else.

“Finally!” Prompto sighed out of relief, doing his best to fix the tense air. “Thought it would never end! Wait—”

Prompto didn’t have to point out his thoughts for Astra to understand where he was headed. They’d walked into a perfectly lit room, but the dungeon didn’t use any fire as its source of light. It appeared to be electricity, and from glancing into the hallways leading into other rooms, she could assume most rooms were appropriately lit as well.

“Who left the lights on?” asked Prompto as they all carefully surveyed their surroundings. “Maybe the owners are still home?”

Noctis rolled his eyes with a small smile, “No.”

Even then, in a moment of confusion and possible danger, Prompto was still trying to lighten the mood as usual with his small comments. Noctis couldn’t help but feel thankful for his best friend and how hard he always tried to make everyone smile in times of struggle.

“In any case, I don't think we should be expecting a warm welcome from whoever’s here,” said Aranea, unsheathing her lance.

They continued walking further into the dungeon. Many of the rooms they traveled through were empty, and many times, Astra thought they’d be ambushed. Yet, they remained untouched. But Astra didn’t allow herself to be lulled into a false sense of safety. She could sense the stares of the monsters and daemons lurking in the shadows, observing their every step. They were entering a small corridor leading into what appeared to be yet another empty room when they felt rubble and dust fall from above. Noctis looked up to find that the stone ceiling had collapsed and was to fall on him. Before he could react, Astra pulled him aside and away from the danger. Caught off guard by the sudden contact, Noctis turned to look at his sister who wouldn’t even look at him. He could feel his heart tighten at the realization, but it also froze when he realized she had drawn her sword. 

Astra lunged forward and past him without hesitation. He turned around to realize that she had attacked a Skeleton monster in his defense. Skeleton monsters always appear in pairs, but Astra made quick work of the two on her own. Their bodies evaporated and left behind loot Prompto picked up. Prompto displayed the loot to Astra who dematerialized her sword and continued on her path with Prompto at her side without looking back at Noctis. Noctis wasn’t sure what he was expecting, but he felt the loss of it nonetheless.

As the group ventured further into the dungeons, they encountered more and more adversaries they were forced to face. The five were able to defeat every wave after wave that attempted to jump out from the shadows to ambush them. Their combat dynamic persisted even with Aranea’s arrival, but they could most likely thank her military expertise for that. Still, it was weird. Despite the tense situation Astra and Noctis were in, they were still able to fight alongside each other effortlessly. All their hard work had come to pay off, but now, Noctis loathed their flawless balance. He hated how normally she treated everyone else and how she was still able to bring herself to smile as she did in Insomnia. He hated that even though he was furious at his sister he was able to unconsciously still find himself in harmony with her.

“Are you okay?” whispered Prompto to Astra as they all continued their path.

Astra was brought out of her deep state of thought, “Yeah. Noctis and I just—”

“No, that’s not what I mean— well, that too,” said Prompto. “What I really mean is you don’t look too great. I saw you fighting back there, and you seemed different .”

“I just feel a little tired,” admitted Astra.

“But—” Prompto couldn’t help but notice Astra’s labored breath and the slight shake in her hand. They hadn’t encountered an unusual amount of resistance from the daemons, and yet, Prompto had never seen her in this state. But Astra was on the job, and she’d never admit she needed rest until the mission was over. Prompto smiled with a heavy heart, “You know that I’ll have your back, right? No matter what.”

Astra reciprocated with the same sentiment displayed on her weary face, “I know.”

As they continued their journey, the group was met with a door— the first door that had appeared in the ruins. Noctis, who had led the group the entire time, stood before the but was careful enough around it to avoid any possible ambush.

“Looks like the only way forward,” began Ignis.

“Is through,” finished Noctis.

Unable to find any sort of doorknob or lever on the door, Noctis placed his hand on the door’s surface, expecting nothing, but the door began to shake the moment it felt his touch and rose up to allow entrance to the other side. They carefully made their way into the next room, preparing for the worst, and were all mesmerized by the sight that welcomed them. It wasn’t a room but a balcony that wrapped around a large room. Astra peered over the stone railing and found there was another balcony placed beneath them; she stared at the ground floor and only found a simple stone floor. But it was what was above that enthralled them. Above them was a pool of water that was perfectly sustained without falling down toward them, and beams of light pierce through the water and illuminate the entire room. The entire room felt still and peaceful like the water above. It induced a deep sense of calm in Astra’s mind and heart.

“Wait. Are we underwater?” whispered Prompto, too bewitched by the sight before. “Look! There’s even fish!”

“The hell is this?” asked Noctis.

Ignis cleaned his glasses, “Can we truly be submerged?”

“No.” Astra stretched forward a hand to feel a ray of light warm her hand. “Which makes it all that more amazing.”

“It does feel harder to breathe, though,” added Prompto, holding his throat.

Astra smiled, unable to take her eyes off the magical sight, “I think this is just one view that takes your breath away.”

“Like a dream,” admitted Noctis, joining Astra’s side.

Astra turned to look at her brother who continued to admire the sight. She saw the softness of his expression and the way the light from above made his eyes shine like a child with wonder. She wished she could continue watching him just like that but soon enough, Noctis felt her stare and glanced her way. The split second he looked at her made her heart freeze, and then he looked away just as fast.

“Not trying to kill the mood,” said Aranea, smiling regretfully. “But we should probably get a move on.”

They followed the path outlined by the balcony as they made their way forward. The water’s serenity didn’t affect any of the lurking monsters. Hordes of daemons crawled out of the shadows at every turn to block their way. They were all more than capable of handling the likes of these shadowy creatures. Aranea and Noctis spearheaded every attack, and the imperial commander found entertainment by stealing Noctis’ prey as she would Astra’s. The amount of daemonic resistance encountered was nothing more than usual, and yet Astra’s body continued to grow heavier with every battle. She felt the cold sweat drip down her temples and the burning of her hands that clasped around her sword; it was the only thing she could do to stop the shaking.

At the furthest end of the balcony, they found a collapsed stairwell and were forced to enter one of the rooms in search of another way down. The layout of the room was unlike any other they had seen so far. There were four entryways connected by small bridges made of stone, leading to a center platform supported by pillars. It was lit like most others, but most of the light shined at the center of the altar. Astra was the first to step toward the altar. Two stone tablets rested at the center, covered in the dust of abandonment. She blew the dust away and felt the shape of the unfamiliar writing etched into the tablet.

Astra could recognize bits and pieces of the language but not enough to make proper sense of anything. But there was a simple four letter word that she was able to decipher— a word she had never seen in writing: ETRO . The realization made Astra pull away from the stone tablets and away from the altar altogether. She turned to make sure her surprise hadn’t been registered by anyone and found only Ignis watching her; the rest were already on their way across the next bridge, heading out the altar room. Ignis’ gaze was direct and steady, but he didn’t say a word. And Astra wouldn’t say one either.

The princess did her best to ignore Ignis’ heavy stare and joined the rest of the group. The stone structure of the bridge was worn and missing railings. Nobody thought it’d be something to worry about until the floor beneath them gave way. Astra could feel her heart fall to her stomach as her body hit the ground. In a blink of an eye, they all found themselves collapsed from the fall. Astra felt the beating of her heart in her head. She saw two of everything— two of Prompto standing back up, two of Noctis summoning his sword, and two of Ignis reaching for Astra. Everyone was already on their feet and intercepting what appeared to be a dozen daemons— everyone except Astra. Ignis had to pull her up and help her stand on her own two feet.

“Astra!” yelled Ignis. “Are you alright?”

His voice sounded distant and muffled over the grunts and cries of the fight. Ignis held Astra’s face with his hands and directed her wandering gaze to him.

“Astra!” called out Ignis again.

Finally snapping to, Astra did her best to nod with a broken voice, “I’m fine. I’m okay.”

By the time Astra had regained control of her body, the fight was already over. Prompto and Aranea looked over to the two while Noctis only cleaned his blade while pointing his ear in their direction. The warmth of Ignis’ touch lingered, and her body wished she could just continue to rely on him. But she knew that he would be far more helpful with a weapon in hand. She wanted to speak again, but her voice wouldn’t come. She just nodded as she patted the dirt and dust off herself, hoping she’d be able to convince the others and herself that she was okay.

Ignis knew Astra better than most. Like Noctis, he could tell when she hid something, but Ignis was experienced enough to be able to tell the severity of the secret. It was a skill he learned through the experience of sticking beside Astra since they were children. He knew she wasn’t well. He knew she needed help. But he couldn’t do anything about it. Not right now. The only way she’d accept any help given would be until they were out and safe, and so, the only thing he could do was move forward.

“What exactly does the empire seek here?” asked Ignis to Aranea.

They began to follow Noctis once again. He paid little to no attention to the haggard Astra and only looked forward; his blatant disregard of his sister’s condition unsettled the group but he paid no mind. Ignis made sure to not stray too far from Astra, and Prompto’s worried gaze continuously glanced toward Astra, unaware of his own actions.

Aranea deeply sighed, “Specimens, and we’re stuck harvesting them.”

“Specimens?” asked Prompto.

“Daemons,” answered Aranea.

Ignis frowned, fearing the answer to a question he hadn’t asked, “The empire dissects them?”

“No.” Astra felt a stiff frown on her face, but even she wasn’t sure if it was due to the pain or her revulsion towards Niflheim. “They use them to make weapons.”

Noctis turned to look at his sister with wide eyes for what was probably the longest time he had all day, “What?”

“Yeah, I’m sure you’ve all seen your fair share by now,” admitted Aranea. “I admit… something hasn’t been quite right with the empire lately.”

“It’s not just lately,” replied Noctis, looking at Aranea with a similar look as Astra’s.

“You’re probably right. Maybe it’s time I leave.” Aranea only nodded her head remorsefully. “I’ll probably just kill daemons for cash. I was a mercenary before all this after all.”

There wasn’t much else to say although there were countless questions they each wanted to ask. They knew that Aranea would be unable to answer most if not all. There was some small conversation here and there, mainly endorsed by Prompto. They learned to be careful of where they stepped after their earlier fall. But even then, Astra felt as though gravity grew stronger with every step she took, and she inevitably fell to the back of the group. It was probably for the best since Noctis could barely stand the sight of her, but Ignis always remained close by, casually guiding her away from potential danger whilst doing his best to let her rely on her own remaining strength. Even Aranea would occasionally check up on her while making idle, teasing conversations in an attempt to restore normalcy.

They continued through the dungeon’s ruins which felt more like an abandoned maze littered with monsters. They walked down stairs, crossed a stone bridge, fought daemons, and then some more. It appeared endless until a familiar ethereal form of light. Before properly entering the final room, they could already tell that they had made it. The room was large and spacious. It was most likely used as some sort of ballroom, and Astra couldn’t help but be reminded of the ballroom back home. It was only ever used for official and formal events, and Astra usually hated those stiff events. But now, she missed even that. More specifically, she missed the time she spent sticking to her father’s side.

“Real spacious,” said Promtpto with a smile as they stood still to observe the room, but his smile slowly faded into a frown followed by a sigh. “There’s so gonna be a big nasty here, isn’t there?”

As if on cue, a large beast roared from across the ballroom. Even from afar, its screeching roar pierced their ears and made the ground rumble. 

“You just had to jinx it,” groaned Noctis. “Again.”

Astra’s original reaction was surprise at how the beast was able to sense them from such a great distance. But that sentiment was quickly won over by a mixture of worry and exasperation. This encounter would require a fight from all of them, and Astra wasn’t sure she’d be able to make it through. 

Not alive.

Chapter Text

The beast trudged forward on its four legs, leaving behind its nest in the shadows. Under the light, they could properly view the beast in its proper and deathly glory. Its skin was leathery and dry, and it dragged its long, thick tail on the ground. two long horns stretched out backward from its temples. Despite its reptilian nature, a pair of wings sprawled out— one from each side— and its beak was sharp and long like a bird. 

“It’s a Quetzalcoatl!” yelled Ignis, immediately summoning his dual daggers.

Prompto followed suit, summoning his weapons, “I’m sorry— a what?”

His question was never answered. The Quetzalcoatl jumped forward and swung its body around, using its tail to clear those in its radius. Ignis and Noctis jumped away with ease while Aranea helped drag Prompto away from the danger. Astra also jumped back, but her body didn’t feel the same. Unable to respond like normally, she was still hit by rubble the Quetzalcoatl’s tail picked up. 

All jumped forward ready to attack while Astra was still barely standing up. Astra could feel the worried glances directed at her, but they continued fighting, unable to let up for even a second. She shook her head as if it’d rearranged her blurry vision and joined the fray with her polearm. Despite her current state, Astra was still able to recall the Quetzalcoatl's weakness and acted accordingly by infusing her polearm with Ice magic. The problem was keeping the beast grounded.

 The Quetzalcoatl consistently hovered and flew above them, limiting most of their weapon’s range. Aranea and Prompto did most of the heavy lifting whenever the beast decided to take to the skies. The two helped keep the beast grounded by attacking its wings while the rest awaited below ready to unleash their fury. But fighting a beast with wings meant they were constantly moving from one side of the room to the other, unlike their last giant beast fight, making it difficult for Astra to keep up. She attempted to warp as she usually did, but it tired her and faltered like a flickering light spread across a distance. The beast would fall from the sky, the team would attack, then the beast would gather its strength and take to the skies again; the process repeated. And Astra was only able to land a few hits by the time she arrived. 

 Astra hurried over to where the beast had just landed and threw her polearm with all the strength she could muster, but by then, the beast had once again flapped its wings to survey the skies. Her polearm instead narrowly missed Noctis’ head and struck the ground the beast once stood upon. Noctis turned with the rest of the group, but he turned his attention to Astra while the rest attacked the beast. His face was distorted into a scowl as he walked up to Astra.

“If you’re not going to get yourself together, then it’s better you don’t help at all!” yelled Noctis, pushing past Astra.

There was little Astra could do at that moment. She didn’t have the strength to argue or chase after him. He was right. She was more of a liability than a help, and she didn’t know how or why. But it didn’t mean that she had done all she could. Not yet. The words she told Etro last night echoed in her mind as a reminder. She worked herself to the bone and shed blood, sweat, and tears in an effort to even be able to be recognized as a princess of Lucis. The power she had she gained by her own strength, and now was the time to prove it.

Aranea and Prompto continued to attack the Quetzalcoatl as it flew in the air above them as the beast occasionally swooped down to attack physically. Noctis warped towards it and used all the weapons at his disposal even summoning the Armiger to his disposal, and Ignis threw his daggers as support. The beast would not fall and continued flying, spitting out balls of lightning at her friends. 

Astra drew in a breath and allowed the breeze of the beast’s flapping wings to calm her as she summoned her bow into her hand. She drew back the bow’s string and gathered as much magic as she could into her hand. A shimmering arrow appeared; its surface appeared reflective like a crystal and shined like no other. She continued to steady her breathing with closed eyes and felt the magic course through her. It was different from usual and familiar like driving your first car, but she could also feel how the action sucked her dry of strength and power. This was all she could do— all she had left in her. 

Her arm felt heavier every second she spent focusing on the intensity of magic in her arrow. It was so bright she caught not only the attention of her friends but also that of the beast they intended to keep occupied. Astra could feel the flapping of the Quetzalcoatl’s wings grow louder and closer, feeling the strength of each breeze grow in intensity. She heard distant voices but still didn’t open her eyes to look. No doubt it was her friends calling out for her, asking her, and maybe even begging her to take cover and run. But Astra had run before, and she never would again.

Astra focused on her breathing and the beating of her heart like Nyx taught her in the face of danger. She opened her eyes and found the Quetzalcoatl before her as its gaping mouth gathered a ball of lightning in its mouth. She could see Noctis warp towards her; his face no longer carried the previous scowl but wide eyes and furrowed brows. He moved his lips but no sound came out. Or better said, Astra couldn’t hear him. The others followed behind him with a similar distressed expression. She let out her breath one last time and let go. The crystal arrow left her hand and soared through the air. It passed through the beast’s ball of lightning and pierced the monster. The Quetzalcoatl let out a painful screech upon contact as its body began to glow from within similar to the arrow that rested within. The light grew too bright to bear, and everyone turned away unable to bear the ferocity of the light.

Moments passed, and Noctis could feel the light’s intensity weaken through his eyelids. He slowly opened his eyes as if he were a newborn baby greeting light for the first time. Slowly he began to turn shapes into recognizable objects. He expected to find the beast’s deceased corpse at his feet, maybe half burnt or with a gaping hole. But instead, he found no body at all. He only found the body of his sister collapsed on the ground. He wished he could think that maybe the impact of the attack sent her flying back onto the ground— that maybe her legs gave out after all the walking from today, but no. He knew better. He felt it in the depths of his heart and the core of his soul that something was wrong. 

Noctis wanted to move. He wanted to help her, but his body wouldn’t answer. He stood still and helplessly as Ignis and Prompto ran to her side. Ignis took Astra into his arms and checked for a pulse. Seconds passed that felt like hours. Ignis said something to Prompto but Noctis wasn’t paying enough attention to make out his words. Aranea shook Noctis’ body in an attempt to drag him out of whatever episode he was in, but he brushed away her hand as he finally stepped forward. 

Ignis placed two fingers on Astra’s neck, “She has a pulse but it’s weak.”

“Do you have any potions? Anything!?” yelled Prompto worriedly.

Ignis hurriedly looked through his selection of medical supplies and potions. Astra’s eyes fluttered open, but she still didn’t have the strength to keep them open. Inaudible murmuring escaped her lips. Ignis tried his best to make out her words but focused his resources on finding the needed supplies. The good news was that she was conscious. Once having found the right potion, Ignis turned her head toward him, but she turned her head to the side persistently. Her eyes were focused on a spot, but Ignis could see nothing but a stone wall. And yet, her murmuring continued as if she were speaking but not to him.

Prompto tenderly swept hair away from Astra’s face, “What is she saying?”

“Astra,” said Ignis quietly while turning her head toward his once again as gently as possible. “I don’t understand.”

Astra’s head was turned toward Ignis but her eyes didn’t leave the spot from earlier. Still, she continued her whispering and murmuring. Ignis leaned his head down and turned his ear toward Astra to understand what she was saying but was only able to make out a single word. The realization of what Astrauttered surprised Ignis, but that sentiment was soon won over by worry. Astra’s eyes closed once again except this time, she was no longer breathing. 

“Ignis. Ignis!” yelled Prompto.

Prompto wasted no time placing Astra on the flat ground. He placed his hands folded one over the other to begin chest compressions. He pressed down on her chest in rhythm and performed mouth-to-mouth periodically. Prompto checked for her pulse, but still nothing. The absence of her beating heart made his own drop. There was a shake in his hands, and he felt as though all his strength had left him. But he wasn’t going to let her go. Not yet. Prompto folded one hand over the other, placed them over on her chest, and began chest compressions once again, accompanied by mouth-to-mouth.

A loud gasp for air filled the dreadful silence. They could all feel the relief wash over them at the sight of a breathing Astra. Her eyes were closed, but she still tried to mumble words. Ignis cupped the back of Astra’s neck as he lifted her at the right angle, placing a potion bottle at her lips. He couldn’t hide his tender smile at the sight of Astra drinking the potion on her own.

Ignis made sure Astra drank every last drop of the potion. He laid her head back down on the floor carefully as if he were handling glass. Astra was no longer mumbling; her breathing was soft but rhythmic, but her pulse was strong and vivid.

“She’s going to be alright,” assured Ignis with a smile.

Prompto smiled, keeping his finger on her wrist, unable to part from her pulse, “The potion brought her back?”

“ You brought her back. The potion only helped,” said Ignis.

Ignis turned back to look at the person standing furthest from Astra yet the closest one to her. Noctis stared at Astra’s unconscious body on the ground. Tears escaped his eyes, and he breathed erratically like he had been holding his breath. Ignis wanted to speak and reach out to him but knew Noctis wouldn’t move from his place. Ignis only nodded at Noctis, hoping it’d be of some sort of consolation. There was little anyone could do to help alleviate the shame and guilt Noctis felt weighing on him, anchoring him into place.

Astra didn’t know where she was. At first, she thought it was Etro’s realm, but now, she wasn’t so sure. Something felt different. It felt foreign and unwelcoming. Astra had been walking for what felt like hours. Water splashed at her feet with every step. She didn’t know where she was going, but still, she continued moving forward. She looked up to the familiar resplendent stars for some guidance but found them glittering closer than they had before. Slowly, small balls of light that once shined in the sky lowered themself around her ever so gracefully.

The princess reached out with her hand to touch these entrancing balls of light, but her hand jumped back the moment she felt the light burn her skin. She looked around, realizing the dangerous amount of balls of light that surrounded her. She moved away for safety, but with all her bumping and grazing, she’d just feel the same burning sensation wherever she turned. The pain had distracted her from noticing the once peaceful water at her feet had begun to rise slowly and move erratically. And it only worsened when the stars began to fall from the sky and crash into the water around her.

Astra had never felt this pain and chaos before in Etro’s realm. She’d never felt so scared, so trapped, so tired. She wanted to run, but there was nowhere to go. Every part of her body was in pain. She felt it burn, and the rising water didn’t appear to help. The water only seemed to anchor her into place. The water didn’t stop rising, and although standing upright, Astra couldn’t find her feet standing on anything. The portion of her body submerged in the water felt heavier than the skies, but the pain she felt still gathered her energy to thrash around. It hurt. Everything hurt. Everywhere. All the time. And she didn’t want to suffer anymore. 

Maybe that was it. Astra had spent her entire life fighting. Fighting against her powerlessness. Fighting against the expectations set upon her. Fighting against Noctis’ fate. For as long as Astra could recall, there was a fight. Every day. Every night. Maybe it was time. Time to stop fighting.

The realization made Astra’s body go still. She wondered why she had found it so hard to stop before when now it felt so easy. All she had to do was let go. The stars stopped crashing down into the waters. The balls of light faded into nothing, and the water peacefully rose and submerged the entirety of Astra’s body. 

There was nothing more to do. The only thing around her was water and darkness, but she did not feel as though she were drowning or lost. The abyss felt comforting— the knowing that this was all there was and ever will be. This had to be what peace felt like. Astra felt her body relax and her mind wander into nothingness. She felt herself let go. 

But let go of what?

Astra couldn’t remember. It felt like trying to dig into the center of the earth with bare hands. It hurt, and she could feel the pressure weighing her into leaving it alone. And yet, she still felt something missing in the corner of her heart. As if someone was supposed to be there with her at her side. Astra didn’t want to think too much about it. She didn’t want to think at all. All she wanted to do was let go, close her eyes, and drift into the abyss. So, why? Why was she still not satisfied? Why was she still not happy? Why was she still not at peace? What could possibly be so worth so much pain in the face of eternal serenity?

No. Not what. Who.

The image of a snarky black-haired prince came to mind, and Astra couldn’t help but smile just by remembering him. Then the image of the caring and often overbearing four-eyes who always had her back came to mind followed by the image of a large and loud man, cursed to only be capable of giving bear hugs. And the image of another— a playful and gentle blonde with freckles whose presence itself lifted her spirits.

Astra’s eyes slowly fluttered open, feeling countless times heavier than they could ever be. Darkness was still the only thing that surrounded her, but Astra knew to look up. She could see the light above her. It felt distant, but it was there and was more than Astra could hope for. Hope. It was more than she needed— more than she deserved. Her memory reminded her of the falling stars and burning balls of light, but they weren’t enough to deter her from reaching the surface because up there was her fighting chance. Her hand floated up effortlessly, reaching out to the distant light above, and she hoped.

From one blink to the next, Astra found herself laying on the surface. Her clothes and hair were dry. There was no sign of water anywhere, including beneath her, as though it had never existed in that realm, to begin with. Her chest fell and rose persistently. It felt as though she had just been drowning, but she didn’t know it until then. She looked around attempting to recognize her surroundings. This time, she knew it was Etro’s realm. She had been looking down when she noticed a pair of sandaled feet approach her from in front. 

“I warned you,” said Etro, looking down at Astra with a pained expression. The goddess stood still and at a distance. It was clear that she had no intention of getting any closer, probably as a way to respect Astra’s earlier decisions. But it was still obvious that she was holding herself back from caring for the princess. “That you’d die.”

Astra thought back to the rage she had felt for the goddess at their last meeting and how it had dwindled since, “But I’m not dead. Am I?”

“No. Although you almost were,” answered Etro as she sat on the ground across Astra.

“It’s because of you, isn’t it?”

Etro couldn’t help the twitch in her brows, “I— What I did…”

“I know... I reached out to you,” said Astra, looking down. “And you graciously took me back in. You must think of me as some sort of pathetic and hypocritical child now, don’t you?”

“No!” Etro appeared apologetic and remorseful. “I know that accepting me once again was not easy... but I believe there is respect reserved for those who would choose to place others before their most treasured ideals and pride.”

“You’re painfully naive for a goddess,” said Astra. “...I still don’t trust you, and truthfully, I’m not sure I ever will.”

“I know. And you know that there are things I cannot tell you. Not now. But there are things I can do.” Etro reached out to Astra with a single hand, hoping she would take it.

“Why does it feel like I’m being asked to shake hands with the devil?”

Etro smiled, “It is probably akin to it.”

Astra stared at Etro’s hand. The princess could feel her nails dig into the skin of her palms and the way her teeth bit her lip. There was no turning back from here. Astra didn’t like to assume things, but this time she knew that this decision would change the fate of the world. Tears clouded her sight. She was scared— scared of making the wrong choice. 

Astra reached towards Etro’s hand but lingered inches away, “Just… promise me one thing.”

“Anything.”

“Give me enough power— enough strength to not just save Noctis but the others too,” said Astra, wiping her tears. “I’m not asking for you to do it yourself or for you to risk your life. I just… I need to keep them safe.”

Etro watched as the young princess wiped the tears from her face although they never stopped falling from her eyes. The goddess blamed herself for Astra’s pain. She felt undeserving of the mortal’s sincerity and pleas. She was a god, but her status had always felt like a heavy crown she never wanted.

Astra finally took hold of Etro’s hand and held it tightly. She wanted to make sure the goddess knew of her resolve. When Astra looked back up at the goddess, she thought she’d find her gazing softly with a smile, but instead, Astra found the goddess' eyes dripping with tears that even the goddess herself seemed perplexed to find. 

Then the world went white.

Chapter Text

When Astra opened her eyes, she was greeted by darkness and twinkling lights above her. Although the mortal realm paled in beauty when compared to Etro’s domain, the night sky was still her favorite. She felt the warmth of fire beside her and could find familiar figures huddled around it from the corner of her eye. Groaning, she forced herself off her back. Her entire body was sore. Simply breathing felt painful, but she had to see their faces. She had to see him.

“Look who’s up,” said Aranea.

The rest of the group turned to look at her. Ignis and Prompto rushed to her side and helped her lean back comfortably against a boulder. They treated her like fragile glass as if she were to shatter with a simple breeze, but then again, Astra did feel just like that. Astra observed their faces. Ignis’ hair and clothes were disheveled. Ignoring his own state, Ignis gently pulled her hair back and tied it with a hairband, tenderly tucking loose hairs behind her ears, and then pulled out a broth the moment he noticed she was comfortable. His gaze made sure to avoid her eyes in an attempt to keep his worry hidden, but Astra knew better.

With Ignis on one side, Prompto hurried over to the other. Like a first-responder medic, Prompto gazed intently into Astra’s eyes. His intense gaze spread warmth over her face, and she prayed the fire would be enough for no one to notice His hand checked her temperature; he rested his palm on her forehead, cheek, and neck. Even though his hand was cold and soothing, he left every place he touched burning.

“You’re cold,” he whispered, covering her up with a blanket.

“I am?” asked Astra in a daze.

Astra didn’t realize that her gaze followed Prompto as he ensured she was warm and comfortable. It was the sudden appearance of a floating spoon before her that snapped her out of her daze. She followed the hand that held the spoon and found Ignis on the other end, holding the broth in his free hand with a determined gaze.

Astra couldn’t help the laugh that escaped her, “I can feed myself, Ignis.”

She had to gently pry the spoon away from Ignis who appeared disappointed at her stubbornness. Both, Ignis and Prompto sat beside her as she ate. They stared at her but wouldn’t say a word. Not even Aranea whom Astra would always pray would stop talking. Now, she wished she would say something. Anything, as long as it killed the unbearable silence.

“You guys are making this really weird,” admitted Astra.

Ignis and Prompto released the tension in their bodies they had been unknowingly building up while Aranea only laughed.

“You can’t really blame them, princess. You’ve been out an entire day,” said Aranea.

Astra almost dropped her spoon and broth altogether and would have if Ignis hadn’t reacted quickly enough to steady her hand. She carefully set the two aside, attempting to gather her thoughts. Being unconscious for an entire day in itself wasn’t shocking to her. It had happened before when she was younger, unbeknownst to the public; it was a side-effect of overworking herself with magic. But it was a few hours at most. Her thoughts raced and scattered around her head, and she was unable to pin a single one down long enough to consider it. Until she thought of him.

“Where’s Noctis?” asked Astra.

The three avoided her question and shared looks. Astra felt her heart drop. Her mind was once again with countless thoughts and possible explanations. She could not avoid jumping to the worst conclusions and caught Ignis’ arm, pulling his attention to her.

“Ignis! Where’s Noctis?” she asked again.

Ignis couldn’t help but notice the tight grasp Astra had on his arm, the way she looked at him, and the way her voice wavered. He held her hand and rested another on her back.

“Take a breathe, Astra,” said Ignis in a gentle tone.

Astra hadn’t even noticed the breath she held in.

“Noctis was worried for you.” Ignis bit his lip. “But he could not bear to see you in the state you were in.”

Astra’s gaze fell to the fire, “That wasn’t it though. Was it?” 

Ignis clenched his jaw and another voice answered.

“He blamed himself.”

Astra turned to look at Prompto, having recognized the tenderness of his voice.  His eyes were just as blue as they were in the daylight. His lip quivered as he buried his teeth in it, in an attempt to hold back all the things that threatened to spill out. She could see it in the way his hands curled at his sides and in the way his eyes only looked at her. It was always like this with the two of them. He was always there, watching her, but never dared step forward and take her hand into his. And Astra was the same. Only watching what she continuously reminded herself would never be hers.

A lone figure sat at the far end of the boardwalk. His feet dangled mere inches away from the lake’s water. Small grazes sent ripples far into the distance of the dark water. He had entertained himself by throwing stones, but he had run out of stones and refused to linger any closer to camp in search of more. He sat still, staring down into the abysmal water. Its reflection tempted him and mocked him. The watery surface reflected the bright moon in all its glory, shining down to light the dark path, but he could not see himself. It was almost poetic that a child named after the night sky would appear unrecognizable when beside it. The absurdity made him laugh.

“I’d say it’s nice to hear your laugh,” spoke a familiar voice. “But something tells me it isn’t an honest laugh.”

He felt his heart tighten at the sound of her voice. His stomach twists itself into a painful mess, but his body was frozen in place. He wanted to turn around— see her on his own. But a voice spoke in his mind, frightening him with the possibility that maybe he had finally lost it and was hearing her voice in his head. Still, he wanted to see her. He had to.

So, he did. He turned his head despite the fact the voice in his mind screamed at him, telling him he was unworthy, undeserving, and a lost cause. It felt as though his whole body meant to defy him, but his heart could not sit still. He knew that the feelings and voices would quiet at the sight of her— that her eyes wouldn’t fill with anger at the sight of him and that her words wouldn’t abhor him. 

And when his eyes met hers, the voice was silenced and the pain vanished. He could feel the burning in his throat and the rising tears in his eyes, but it wasn’t of pain. It was of relief— relief that his sister was alive and that she had come to look for him.

Astra appeared haggard and tired. Her boots weren’t even laced properly. Like she had just awoken and rushed to him. “Noctis—”

Noctis quickly turned back to the water. He couldn’t believe himself— the audacity he dared have. Here she was, having just awoken from what they didn’t want to believe was a life-threatening coma. She had probably not even eaten, not rested properly, or taken care of herself, but she had come to him. And that’s all he instinctively cared about— the fact that his sister had come to soothe him once more. Other times, he’d be angry at the fact that she deemed him so pitiable to receive the attention of a patient, but he could only direct his anger at himself, the boy who still expected and wanted it even at the cost of his own sister’s well-being.

“Noctis,” called Astra once again.

Noctis didn’t answer or look back at her. Throughout the silence, he could hear the echoing footsteps grow closer until Astra finally sat down next to him. Noctis continued looking down at the reflection of the moon in the water as Astra looked ahead to the abysmal horizon. 

“Ignis told me you haven’t rested or eaten since the dungeon,” said Astra gently.

“Yeah. Well, what about you?” Noctis couldn’t help the bitter tone that escaped him.

Astra chuckled slightly, “Well, I’m rested. Even though I sure as hell don’t feel like it.”

Silence returned and haunted the surrounding air for a few moments before Noctis decided to break it.

“Why…” Noctis bit his lip. The searing pain brought back the memory of what he saw in the dungeon, but it was nothing compared to what he felt then. Images flashed before his mind, reminding him of the fight he and Astra had not too long ago and how quickly fear overtook his anger as he watched her stop breathing. “Why did you do it?”

“What? Noctis, do what—”

“Everything! Why do you keep so many secrets? Why don’t you trust me? Why do you do everything on your own—”

“Noct—”

“Why— Why do you keep putting yourself through so much pain?”

Noctis was now looking at Astra. His body was turned toward her, and his eyes looked nowhere else but at hers. Astra remembered the last time they sat at the very same spot. They had argued then too, worse than they ever had before, and Astra couldn’t help but compare the situations. But it was different this time. 

“I… I don’t…” Astra could feel the quiver on her lip. She didn’t know what to say. ‘ I don’t know.’  That’d be a lie. ‘I have to.’  Did she? ‘It’s all I know.’  Another lie. And Astra was so tired of lying.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” whispered Noctis as he rubbed his eyes before any tears could fall. “When you fell, I was so scared. For so many reasons. I was scared you’d die, and I was scared of doing it alone— being alone. And I hated myself for it. And I prayed to any god that would listen so that you would wake up. And you did.”

Astra hadn’t looked away from Noctis since the first time he met her eyes. He looked back at her again with a smile. She could see he truly was happy that she awoke, but his eyes were riddled with guilt and so much more. Once he realized she saw that, his smile faded.

“But it came back, Astra. All that anger and bitterness from before… it came back, and I don’t know what to do—” Noctis’ cracking voice came to a sudden halt. He hated the way he sounded as he spoke while holding back tears. But he hated the words he spoke even more. “The moment I heard your voice, I was beyond relieved but then… I remembered the bitterness. I feel them both, at the same time and I know you don’t deserve that. I know you don’t. But I also can’t pretend I’m okay. Not like before.”

Astra took in a shaky breath, “Guess we’re both too tired to keep pretending… I get where you’re coming from. Everything your feeling reminds me of how I felt with Dad. He had his secrets as a father and king, and I thought that being a good daughter and princess would get me somewhere. And well, that didn’t get me far either. Who would’ve thought I’d end up just like him in that sense.”

“Noct, I’ve messed up, and I don’t want you to think you can’t feel these things. Our lives— our lives are messed up. I mean, we’ve got gods, monsters, messengers, and chocobos all wrapped up in one mess. And we’ve gone through a lot. Both of us. And it’s taken me a long time to learn that we are allowed to be bitter and don’t always have to forgive to understand. Just—” This time, Astra’s voice caught itself but she couldn’t stop the tears escaping from her eyes that Noctis saw. “Just don’t forget you love me along the way.”

The tears he’d been trying so hard to keep hidden and locked tight behind him suddenly spilled out. At first, it was the sight of his sister crying that stirred them, but it was her words that made him fall apart. He wiped his tears only to find more to clean from his face. He could barely look at his sister as his vision blurred from the tears, but he could tell she was in a similar state as him, hastening to wipe tears that wouldn’t stop coming.  

Noctis looked up, hoping gravity and the chill of the night would help dry his eyes, and he was met with the sight of the moon. It was brighter than he had ever seen it before, and its gentle light felt as though it warmed him. He couldn’t help but think of Luna, the only other person who had seen him in such an emotional mess. He wondered if she was okay. Gods, he prayed she was. He wanted to see her again. Be with her. But they’d have to walk into enemy territory and place their lives in their hands to do that. The thought of it scared him, but knowing that the girl crying like a baby next to him would be at his side was more than enough comfort.

“I wouldn’t be able to,” Noctis finally answered. “Trust me. This twin thing? It’s a curse.”

“That’s one way to kill a mood.” Astra laughed slightly, still not able to rid herself of the earlier sadness. “Thanks for that. It was getting too sappy.”

Noctis smirked, “You’re telling me.”

“Shut up.”

They looked at each other, eyes red and already swollen, and their cheeks still wet from their tears. They smiled at each other, having finally stopped crying. There was a lot left to do and a lot left to say, but that could wait. At the end of the day and every other day, they would have each other. Astra would make sure of that, and Noctis would too.

“I hate you,” sighed Astra, still sniffling.

Noctis laughed as he stood up, “Right back at you, sister.”

He held out his hand toward Astra who sat still looking at him. Then, she took his hand, and he helped her to her feet.

“Let’s go get dinner. I didn’t get to finish mine,” said Astra as she walked back toward land.

“Why are you walking funny?”

“I feel like a woke up from a year-long coma, and my legs are all jello-like.”

“Want me to carry you?” asked Noctis mockingly.

“I’d rather die.”

“Don’t say that.”

“...Okay.”

Chapter Text

“You’ve still got a long and hard path ahead of you,” said Aranea. “But don’t let others tell you how to walk it.”

Morning had come, and there was no rest for Imperial commodores or royal heirs and their loyal retinue. It didn’t take long to pack their belongings back into Regalia, and not too far off, Aranea’s men were waiting for her to depart. All that was left was their goodbyes.

“Your help may have been inquired upon false pretenses, but it was invaluable nonetheless,” said Ignis with a small smile.

“Tell me something I don’t know,” answered Aranea.

“Take care walking your own path, Aranea.”

“I will.” Aranea and Ignis shared smiles that lingered a second too long and caught Astra’s bewildered attention, but they were both quick on returning to their professional personas. Aranea turned to the twins. “I’m open to ‘training’ you two if we cross paths again.”

“I’ll take any opportunity to exchange blows. On friendly terms, of course,” smiled Astra.

Aranea chuckled, “Who am I to say no to you, Royal Princess? By the way, His Excellency told me to offer you guys a ride back to Lestallum if you need it.”

“As long as he doesn’t make another surprise appearance,” said Noctis.

“Yeah, that is his thing, but no need to worry. He’s long gone across the sea.”

“Altissia. If the Chancellor is already there, then maybe we should hurry too. Cindy alerted me of a friend of hers that works at the power plant who can help with the mythril,” informed Ignis.

“So, Lestallum?” asked Prompto.

“Lestallum,” affirmed Ignis.

Aranea held true to her word. There was no Imperial Chancellor around to aggravate Astra and her friends. Then again, Aranea was able to do just that for Astra. Of course, everyone else found their squabbling entertaining. The inside of the Aranea’s magitek appeared more hospitable than the other ones they’d been into, although no one felt comfortable enough to leave the cargo area where the Regalia was parked. What would have been almost a two-day ride to Lestallum in the Regalia only lasted a little under one via magitek engine. By sunset, they had arrived at their destination.

“Before I let you go, I should warn you that I’ve received reports about some trouble down in the plant,” warned Aranea as the cargo bay doors opened to reveal the city of Lestallum. Astra had to hand the pilot props, having not even noticed when they landed. “I wish I could help, but my hands are tied unless ordered otherwise.”

“Well, thanks for the ride anyway,” said Astra.

“Anytime, princess.”

It didn’t take long for the gang to find Holly, or better said, she found them. Astra was more than ready to get down to business and have Holly deal with the mythril until she learned the trouble Aranea had mentioned. Daemons broke into the plant, and it was now overrun. They all prepared themselves to leap into action before finding out about a gas leak and there being only one suit available to wear.

“Lovin’ that outfit, Noct,” laughed Prompto.

“Why am I the one wearing the suit?” groaned Noctis.

“Because you’re a perfect fit,” smiled Astra. “And the pink brings out your eyes.”

“You can’t even see my eyes.”

“Just take the compliment.”

“While you take care of things inside, I’ll get enough time to deal with the mythril,” mentioned Holly. “Either way, I can’t thank you enough for your help with this.”

Noctis stood fully dressed in a hazmat suit. Astra couldn’t catch a single glimpse of her brother inside, but she could tell from his body language that he wasn’t thrilled with having to fight while wearing such obstructing clothes. Still, there was no other choice. He wouldn’t be able to last five minutes inside without it. Noctis took one long look at the sight that lay before him. There was a long steel bridge leading straight to the power plant that stretched toward the sky. Fumes spilled out from the building, and even the suit itself had been penetrated by the odor. Only dim lights lit his path, but it was the nearby meteorshard that provided the most light. Even the night’s stars paled in comparison.

Noctis took in one deep breath and then walked.

Holly made sure to stay in contact with Noctis while he remained inside. He was accompanied by another hunter who had jumped into action before the rest of them had even arrived. While Noctis and the unknown hunter took care of the daemons, Holly worked on the mythril. Ignis had gone with her as a second pair of hands while Astra and Prompto waited by the power plant’s bridge. 

Minutes went by that turned into hours with no sign of Noctis coming out. The night only got darker. Standing around only made Astra feel restless. It wasn’t because she didn’t trust her brother, but she hated having no eyes inside. It didn’t take too long for her and Prompto to go to Holly and Ignis even if she wouldn’t be able to help. It ended up being a wise decision. Holly offered her couch to rest, and although Astra originally hesitated, she was able to rest what she hadn’t been able to after Etro and her near-death experience. Etro didn’t appear in her dreams this time, but her dreams were haunted by her existence and the prophecy they both were working to destroy. Her peaceful sleep didn’t last much longer after that, and she awoke.

“Trouble sleeping?” asked a smooth voice.

Astra turned to look at the familiar man with the porcupine-inspired hairstyle. She had left the inside of Holly’s workspace in search of comfort under the night sky. Prompto was left behind, sleeping on the couch where Astra once lay beside him. Astra sat on the cool concrete, ignoring the perfectly good chair not too far off, and looked up at Ignis smiling weakly as the night breeze caressed her cheeks.

“And then some,” answered Astra.

Ignis didn’t hesitate to sit beside Astra on the cold concrete. It was a nostalgic feeling. Astra couldn’t help but reminisce the times they would sit just like that when she would run and hide from attendants and suitors. He was always at her side, never forcing her, and always patient; then again, this was balanced with his constant nagging. The thought made Astra chuckle.

“Is something funny?” asked Ignis. “Or have you finally begun to lose it?”

“Both?”

Ignis smiled weakly and sighed, “You’re not resting enough. I don’t think I’ve seen you get a proper rest in weeks— and no, your short-lived coma does not count.”

“...I wasn’t going to say that.” 

There was silence even though Astra could feel Ignis’ eyes stare at her as she observed the passing strangers. She could feel the tenseness in his shoulder and the way his body appeared to stop itself repeatedly from moving into her line of sight.

“Astra,” spoke Ignis. She waited for him to continue, but his pause lingered for too long. And she knew he wouldn’t continue unless she turned to look at him. “Do you… trust me?”

Astra couldn’t hide the confusion on her face, “Of course I do.”

“And I trust you wholeheartedly. Should you ask me to follow you to hell, I would without question, but not just because of trust.”

“Ignis—” Astra felt the words get stuck in her throat at the sight of a white-haired goddess watching the two from afar.

“But because I care for you. Not as an attendant or your brother’s advisor, but as your friend.”

Astra heard Ignis speak to her, but she’d be lying if she said she was paying attention to every word. Her eyes continuously shifted from Ignis to Etro back and forth. Her attention was being drawn away to the goddess and what her appearance meant. Her thoughts raced through her mind until they were brought back to the man before her.

“Astra!”

The sound of Ignis raising his voice was enough to gather Astra’s attention but also those passing by. Astra looked at Ignis and properly observed him. His brows were furrowed with worry, and his eyes filled with agitation. His chest fell and rose abnormally, and his warm hand held hers.

Ignis did his best to compose himself but didn’t let go of her hand for he feared what letting go meant, “Astra, do you trust me?”

“I do. Always.”

He took a deep breath, fearing that is next words would have consequences neither of them could be ready to deal with, then spoke, “Then who’s Etro?”

Astra could feel her heart stop and fall to the depths of the earth as time felt to slow down. The emotions that stirred within her were too many. The attempt to gather her thoughts appeared impossible and instead made her feel sick. She could hear her heartbeat in her ears and felt it pulse throughout her entire body. Astra could count the amount of times she felt true horror in one hand despite the countless tragedies that had occurred in her life. This was one of them.

Astra swallowed to soothe her dry throat and attempted to speak, “Who—”

“Don’t. Please don’t pretend. You and I both know we’re probably the last people who could lie to each other,” said Ignis.

Astra nodded, “...Where did you hear the name?”

“I read it before in an ancient manuscript relating to Solheim. There was little written about her but enough to garner interest and attention.” Ignis did his best to explain his reasoning as clearly and levelheaded possible, but Astra could tell he wanted to skip to the end and get his answers. “I didn’t think much of it until recently. I saw the name Etro written into the tablet you saw back in the dungeon. You recognized it.”

“Is that really all?”

“...I’ve hear your say the name a few times. Once, conscious, but mostly only when you’re half-asleep. I may not be the closest person to you but I do believe I know you better than most. Even yourself. I can tell when something’s weighing on your mind or shoulder. I can tell when you change,” said Ignis as he moved a strand of hair behind Astra’s ear to see her teary eyes. “I know you.”

Astra couldn’t help but try to lighten the mood with a small smile as she looked at Ignis, “Would it surprise you if I said you’re the second person who asked me to unburden myself of my secrets?”

“This was Noct, I assume?” Ignis watched Astra’s nodding. “You’re not as good at hiding things as you may think. Not to those who hold you dear.”

“I couldn’t then. I wanted to— I tried to… but the words wouldn’t come. No matter how hard I tried to say them; it felt like they got stuck in my throat and choked me. And I hurt him. Don’t ask me to hurt you too.”

Ignis sighed, but his gaze remained gentle and compassionate, “I told her you’d say that.”

“Told who?” asked Astra as she did her best to not stare at the spot where Etro stood.

However, Astra couldn’t help but glance quickly at the goddess and return her gaze to Ignis, but what surprised her was that she found the man before her looking to the side at the very spot she had just looked away from. She looked back at the goddess and found her also looking at Ignis as they both acknowledge each other’s presence. Yet another wave of thoughts overtook her rationality.

“What?” Astra stood up, unable to remain sitting still at the sudden revelation. She turned away from Ignis and Etro together, unable to think properly for herself with them in sight. “I don’t get it.”

Ignis reached for Astra’s arm in an attempt to return her attention back to him, “Let me explain, Astra—”

“I don’t get it. It doesn’t make sense.” Despite her countless thoughts and questions, Astra could only mention her confusion. Ignis cupped her face with his hands gently and brought her eyes to meet his. Even then, Ignis could tell her gaze watched the goddess that stood behind him. “You told me I couldn’t tell them. You told me—”

Astra cut her own words off before she could finish her sentence. A sudden thought struck that appeared to shake her to her core more than the realization she’d been found out by Ignis. Her hands came up to meet Ignis’ that still rested on her cheeks; he could feel the slight tremble despite her firm grasp.

“Did something happen to you!? What did she take!?” Astra’s voice was quiet yet urgent. Ignis couldn’t answer her questions; he had no idea what she was referring to. With Ignis’ silence, she turned her gaze to Etro one again. “What did you do!?”

“Calm yourself, Astra!” Ignis didn’t like raising his voice, especially to Astra in her weaker moments, but it was enough to snap Astra out of her panic state. He took in a deep breath to calm himself first then spoke, “Breathe. Just breathe and listen.”

Ignis looked back to the goddess for confirmation which he received at the signal of a simple nod. He turned back to Astra and moved his hands, but continued to hold hers. Holding her hands was really just his own way of comforting himself; the situation at hand didn’t exactly come easy to him either. But he hoped that his grasp would somehow be able to comfort Astra too. 

“She came to me the night you collapsed after facing the Quetzalcoatl,” explained Ignis.

“Why?” asked Astra.

Ignis hesitated, “I was praying. For you.”

Like Astra, Ignis wasn’t the biggest fan of the gods. He was a believer, but that was it. To him, they were nothing more but selfish and capricious beings with too much power and little interest in mortal affairs. He had never prayed before for that same reason. Astra knew this.

“You’ve been… different ever since Nifleheim’s attack. I thought it was the weight of the burden, trauma, or anything else. But it felt like you were growing distant— like we were losing you. So I prayed, and she answered.” Ignis motioned to Etro who stood silently nearby, watching the two without saying a word. “She told me about your bond with her and your task to help Noctis survive the prophecy.”

Astra looked at Etro. Ignis words let the princess know two things: he knew the nature of her relationship with Etro but also that Etro had not told him the entire truth. Ignis also chose his words carefully; it had become second nature as the future king’s advisor. He recognized this carefulness was especially important in moments like these where clarity was crucial. And yet, he only mentioned Noctis’ surviving the prophecy. Nothing about destroying said prophecy. Nothing about Astra taking his place. Nothing about the fatal consequences. Nothing even about fighting the gods themselves. It seemed as though she had told him nothing at all.

“I still don’t get it,” spoke Astra. “Why?”

“Alerting Noctis of all these things risks his fulfilling the prophecy. She told me so that you would not carry the burden alone any longer,” explained Ignis. “You’re not alone in this, Astra. Not anymore.”
Astra slipped her hands out of Ignis’ and dragged her feet back towards the wall she had sat against earlier. She sat down without saying a single word. Ignis trusted she no longer could slip past him. Instead, she sat, staring aimlessly into the ground with furrowed brows. Ignis joined his friend and sat beside her.

Astra took in a deep breath, “Thank you. For understanding and doing this.”

“It’s what friends are for, right?” smiled Ignis.

Their shoulders touched, and Astra leaned towards him to rest her head on his shoulder. Etro still remained in her sight but vanished from Ignis’. She took his hand into her own and held it tightly without looking away from the goddess.

“It’s dangerous for him to know all the truth. The gods know Ignis but do not watch over him as they do Noctis. We must be careful in their presence,” spoke Etro in Astra’s mind without moving her lips.

Astra didn’t answer. There was nothing she could bring herself to say or ask despite the countless thoughts in her mind. They all seemed to drift away when Ignis leaned his own head to rest atop hers as his other hand held the two of theirs. She could only think of Ignis and the true comfort he brought to her. Astra closed her eyes tightly. Her heartbeat settled itself and her once erratic breathing returned to normalcy. When she opened her eyes again, Etro had vanished from her sight. Only Ignis remained with her.

“You are,” said Astra quietly.

“I am what?” asked Ignis without moving away.

“The closest person to me. You’re my best friend.”

Ignis laid a small and gentle kiss on her head, “And you are mine.”