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He never imagined how it would be.
At the end of the road the pain was forgotten. There were no tears. Only light, that blinded him, so he kept his eyes closed and embraced the darkness for one more moment. A last escape before he'd give in to death.
He sacrificed himself for the sake of generations that were yet to come. The gods had chosen him and he did his part as they wanted. (At least that was what he thought.) The light returned, the darkness he now forgot to fear drew back to the night.
From the very beginning he was never meant to witness the dawn he realised, but there was no regret or bitterness.
There was a fragrance of something he couldn't fully grasp. The faint smell distracted him; reminded him of a place far away, of a time long ago.
"You may open your eyes now."
Startled by the voice, he blinked. Everything was still bright, peaceful, that it took him a second to adjust.
"Luna", he breathed.
In front of him was a smiling twelve year old girl, beautiful as the day he first met her. Or the day he lost her.
They sat in a flower field, similar to the gardens he visited in Tenebrae once. Or maybe it was the Tenebraean garden? Was this even real? He couldn't tell but he wished it was.
"Congratulations", she grinned and stood up, putting a crown of flowers on his head "You made it. You saved everyone."
He made a noise of surprise - only to notice that it was his prepubescent voice that responded to her.
Not able to form a word he touched the flowers on his head. The last century he had been a king without a crown, of a country that was a shadow of its former self. Of broken people with and without hope.
Tears dwelled in his eyes when he looked up to her.
Her smile faded immediately. Instead she bit her lower lip in a moment of hesitation before she pulled him into a hug. If she was going to cry, he wouldn't see it.
"Now, now. It's okay. It's over", she whispered, holding him tightly as if any of them could vanish any second. He wanted to stay there with her. Did she know how much he wanted to see her again?
"But... I couldn't save you."
The prince stammered, pressing his face into her shoulder. "I was too weak. So many got hurt because of me. Because I wasn't strong enough. Because I wasn't who I should have been."
He didn't want to cry but the tears kept streaming down his face, staining her white dress.
She didn't pull away and waited till his sobs died down and most of the tears dried on his face.
"You did your best", she finally said.
But his best wasn't enough.
"I'm proud of you."
For what? Failing? Causing so many people to die in vain?
He gripped her shoulders, the determined look on his face not fitting the eight year old form of his self, sending a shiver down Luna's spine when their eyes met.
"But you died."
"You died, too", she pointed out, bitterness is dripping from her voice.
They both stared at each other for a long time. She regretted not being able to comfort him better, to soothe the sadness in his heart when her own was heavy.
His yawn breaks the silence. "It's late. Rest a little."
He rubbed his eyes, his mouth opened to object but the words fell silent when she kneeled down and offered him her lap to lay down.
"Luna..."
He was caught off-guard by the rashness of her actions, but obeyed hesitantly. There was no doubt that she was Luna. His Luna. She would always surprise him with her gentleness. Even now. He should know better after all, after a life of chasing her. But that was it. He never made it to reach her. Touch her.
His eyelids dropped lower when her hands roamed his hair, putting off the flowers from his locks.
A breeze swayed the flowers, the scent of the sylleblossoms got carried away.
"Will you be there, when I wake up?" The young prince whispered. His voice fragile like it was going to burst any moment.
"What do you think, silly?" She teased. He stirred to look at her face but she wouldn't let him. He only stopped when she finally continued: "Of course I am."
"I believe you." He immediately promised. "I always will, you hear me?"
"I know" she giggled sadly "I believe in you too. I always will."
The tiredness took over the young prince and with that he started to vanish. It was like freezing, her fingers losing sensitivity without any drop of temperature.
The first hot tear slid down her cheek, contrasting the numbness of her fingertips when it fell into her open palm.
She allowed herself a moment of weakness to cry to her heart's content. The garden vanished, the fog appearing around her, but she didn't feel lost. She knew her way, better than anyone else.
An old man stepped out of the fog, his eyes looked wary, he was ready to give up.
Lunafreya raised to her feet. He didn't need to say anything, she knew already.
"I'm sorry I failed you, your majesty" she apologised, facing the kind eyes of the man who loved her like a father.
"My answer remains the same. I won't give up, till the prince... - Noctis - till he will find happiness. I swear to you. I will guide him to see the dawn. My determination hasn't wavered now, not ever."
His eyes lit up for a second and he thanked her with a smile before he vanished again.
Waiting she observed her hands, expecting to follow them. When was her time to return to the cycle's new round? She noticed that her deed wasn't done yet when she heard someone coughing behind her. His lungs seemed dry, maybe he was watching her an eternity already, who knew?
"So you finally found me" Unsure she turned to him, but presented him a beaming smile that wouldn't leave any worries left. The tears burnt in her eyes but she wouldn't worry him any more than she already did when they wandered Eos. She had to be brave for both of them, because she knew that most of his strength was based on her well being.
Luna noticed how his appearance changed just like Noctis' before. His cold eyes got a warm shimmer, the colour in his infected eye turned back to blue.
"Brother", she breathed. It was like a phoenix down to her heart, seeing her brother like this. Still innocent, safe, unhurt and just hers alone.
As fast as her feet allowed her she ran through the flower field into his arms. Unsaid promises on her lips.
I will do it right, I promise.
I won't stop fighting for us.
For everyone.