LIGHT OF THE NIGHT SKY

lunaroracle‌:

Relief and fear were mixing together, battling for dominance and making it difficult for the king to decide what to truly feel. Part of him believes that this was real, that his beloved Luna was finally here with him. The other part of him believed that she would disappear like all the other times. He just wanted her to stay. He wished for nothing more than to give her the life she deserved, ruling side by side and hand in hand the way it was meant to be.

“Luna...” The reality that this could in fact be real was now beginning to settle into his mind, for Luna’s arms had wrapped themselves around his neck and her face was pressed against his shoulder. Moving one of his hands to cradle the back of her head, he then placed a kiss atop of it and found tears beginning to well up in his eyes. Not tears of sadness, no, but of joy. To finally have her here with him after all that time spent grieving and longing for her; wishing that he could have done something differently to keep her alive. Gods, how he had missed her.

“I couldn’t have done it without you.” She had given her life for him and had died protecting him. Without Luna, so much of what had happened wouldn’t have been possible. It was just a shame that things couldn’t have played out differently. Alas, here they were. This moment was what mattered now. “I would’ve waited a lifetime for you,” Noctis then added, an undeniable look of affection within his eyes. While he still wasn’t one to have a way with words, he’d waited far too long for her to be fumbling over his words now. He knew exactly what he wanted to say to her after thinking so much about the things he never got to.

ofargentum‌:

Gladio had always had a more brash side to him, which admittedly could be useful to keeping motivation high if it ever began to dwindle, but this was...different. It was tense between them, the words harsher than they were uplifting. He made it sound so easy to put everything behind him and just get on with it. Noctis would’ve done it by now if that were the case. Putting on the ring wasn’t just like slipping on any regular old piece of jewelry. It was painful and exhausting and the depressive spell he’d fallen into certainly didn’t help push him at all. Though, Gladiolus’ attempts at pushing him were pissing him off more than anything. “Yeah, well he has a funny way of showing it,” the prince replied with a hint of bitterness in his tone.

Closing his fingers around the ring once more to conceal it in the palm of his hand, Noctis exhaled another sigh of frustration. They were probably all thinking the same thing; waiting on him to use the ring and wondering how much longer he’d stall for. Gladiolus had been the only one to actually voice his frustrations.

Tired eyes were met with Prompto’s as he continued to speak and explain his point of view. It sounded a little better coming from him at least. He didn’t feel like he was cornered and needing to defend himself for being spoken down to. “I know what my job is and I know what needs to be done,” he responded perhaps a little more harshly than intended. At his next words, however, his voice and expression both softened a little. “And I’m...I’m trying.”

Even with their help, the ring was his burden to carry, and it wasn’t as if letting them in was something he was too keen on doing after the way Gladio had acted. The shield was tired of the moping and waiting and ready for him to take action. There was far too much on his mind and he already felt like a burden as it was. He felt guilty for not saving Luna, for Ignis sacrificing his eyesight for him, for not being able to be stronger when the people he cared about needed it most. Everything just felt like it was falling apart and he kept losing the things he so desperately wished to hold onto. His head turned to look out the window as the train then began to come to a slow. “Think we’re here.”

pyrepledge‌:

Fingers squeezing at his knee was a small gesture of comfort and reassurance, but Noctis still couldn’t help but feel badly about the events that had taken place. The loss of Luna and Ignis’ eyesight was something he would take with him to his grave, he was certain of that. Even if they had both done so willingly, it pained him to have not been able to do more to help them. He wanted to be stronger for his people and friends alike.

“Yeah...Guess you’re right,” Noctis said after a moment of thought. It could have been much worse and Ignis was lucky to still have his life. “One day I’ll find a way to repay the favor.” Maybe one day, some time in the future, he’d find a way to restore his vision. Unlikely? Yes. But he would remain hopeful.

Crystalline eyes watched the other’s hand find its way up to his shoulder, where he was then given a half hug. The group didn’t exchange hugs too often, usually just having their arms slung around each other at most, but it was welcomed nonetheless.

Returning the embrace, fingers gently gripped at the fabric of Ignis’ shirt and his eyes fell shut for a moment. Keep it together, he reminded himself. He had to be strong, no matter how heavy his heart was. There wasn’t room for weakness.

triggerdance‌:

Usually Noctis was the king at sleeping. As of late though, he’d been having some trouble falling asleep. There was a lot weighing on his mind, and as their journey progressed, everything became increasingly heavy. His eyes were tired, begging for sleep while his mind was wide awake and riddled with too many thoughts to clearly make sense of.

“You’re lucky I’m awake,” he replied, for anyone who knew him would know that he wasn’t a morning person and he didn’t like being woken up. It wasn’t that he was mean, but rather just a little grumpy and sluggish. Pulling the covers down, he got out of the bed and rubbed at his eyes tiredly. “Half awake,” came a sleepy correction. If he could, he’d go to sleep right here and now, yet something told him that his friend needed his company right now. Ever since they’d reunited with him, he’d been a little off.

“Y’know, I could use a laugh.” Most conversations as of late had been rather to the point, revolving heavily around business. He understood why, but he did miss the days that were filled with more laughter and banter between the group. “We always found something to laugh about together, huh? Remember in high school when you had the talent to fall up the stairs?”

lunaroracle‌:

To get to where he was now had been a long and painful journey, and though in the end Noctis had proven victorious, he couldn’t have gotten to where he was without the help of those who accompanied him on his journey. Prompto, Gladiolus, Ignis (the man who had nearly sacrificed his own life for him in the end) and Luna. Dearest Luna. His heart ached and longed to be reunited with her once again. Too soon she had been taken from him, stealing away not only his friend, but the woman he had wished to marry.

Sitting upon his throne, blue eyes held a distant look as he gazed out the window. The ring was certainly a heavy burden to carry, but like his father and the kings before him, he would see it through until the end of his days--no matter how it wore on. At least he wasn’t having to put up a barrier like Regis, which was one of the major contributing reasons to his decline in well-being. For now, things were peaceful, but he had to be prepared for a turn of events.

A gentle touch to his shoulder pulled the king from his thoughts, his head turning to look at the unexpected presence. Luna. He had to be dreaming or seeing things again. She’d appeared before him a few times before, but every time he would reach out to try to embrace her, she would be gone. It pained him deeply with out fail each time, for it felt like he was having to say goodbye all over again.

His hand lifted to be placed atop of Luna’s own, but this time she didn’t disappear. He could feel the warmth of her skin upon his own. “Luna?” Noctis spoke, voice barely above a whisper as he got to his feet and turned to fully face her. “It can’t be.” Oh, but how he wished it could. Carefully and slowly, as if expecting disappointment, he reached out to allow his fingers to gingerly brush against the oracle’s cheek. “Is it really you?”

pyrepledge‌:

Maybe Ignis was right. Maybe he had done everything he could in the moment, but he couldn’t help but feel that he could’ve done more. Why did he get to live while others died around him? They sacrificed so much for him and he wished that there was more he could give back. If he could, he would give Ignis his own two eyes to allow him to see again.

Taking note of the way Ignis tried to shift to face him, hand lifted as if to reach out, the prince moved a little closer to tap his shoulder; a small action to give him a better idea of where he was. “Right here,” he said before getting comfortable once more in a somewhat closer proximity. His gaze landed on Ignis’ glasses, still able to make out his silvery gaze from behind the lenses. It had to have been painful, having his eyes burned like that. Another wave of guilt, the prince’s gaze instead downcast.

“I get that, but...” Noctis’ brow furrowed as he struggled to convey what he felt. It was important that he didn’t die, and he understood just how important his survival was, but he dreaded the idea of people continuing to give his life for him. Their survival was important to him, too. “I would die for you guys, too.” Little did he know that one day he would have to. One day, he would be handing over his life as the ultimate sacrifice.

pyrepledge‌:

The guilt that was written across Noctis’ features was quickly replaced by momentary shock, the prince caught off guard by Ignis’ accusation. Even without vision, he knew he’d been staring at him. “That obvious?” He replied bleakly, his expression falling once more. Since the death of Luna, he’d grown especially quiet and withdrawn. Not only was he sad about the loss of Luna, but at the loss of Ignis’ vision.

For a while he said nothing, instead just trying to collect his thoughts and decide how to deliver his feelings through words. He was never very good at it, preferring to keep things to himself rather than burdening others with his problems. But Ignis was right. There was an obvious shift between not only the two of them, but the group as a whole. He’d been finding it difficult to look Ignis in the face without feeling a wave of guilt wash over him.

“I should’ve been stronger. For you, for Luna,” Noctis began to explain, his head then shaking in denial at the other’s final statement. “You’re wrong. My safety isn’t all that matters.” Sure, he had a destiny to fulfill and a lot rested on his shoulders, but the people who followed him weren’t just pawns. They were people he loved and cared for. “You matter, and I’m tired of people getting hurt because of me.”

@swcrnshield continued from here

Gladiolus had always been quick to come to Noctis’ defense, whether it was to protect him from physical blows or from words meant to get under his skin and go straight for the heart. He couldn’t imagine someone else being a better, more reliable and honorable shield than Gladio. He still remembered the day he got the scar across his face, when he was protecting him from a drunken man with a knife trying to cut him.

But words were only words, and he would be setting a bad example if he were to allow his shield to go around decking everyone who dared to question Noctis’ title as king. His hands remained pressed against the taller male’s chest. At least he was listening to him by remaining in place, despite his words making it clear that he wanted nothing more than to push him aside and deal with the people opposing him.

“I’ll prove it to them. I’ll prove that I’m not weak.” Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but one day he’d become the king that the people needed him to be. He was trying, desperately so, to follow in his father’s footsteps and be strong like he was. “--but this isn’t going to fix anything,” Noctis retaliated, an urgency in his tone. “Beating people into submission isn’t how I'm going to earn the respect of them. Only fear.” Though, he did want to tell them all to shut up. He was getting annoyed of them running their mouths and speaking of things they had little to no understanding of.