Chapter Text
Dull, flickering light glows from a lone flame trapped in the floating orb directly in the middle of the black night's sky. The light is soft, barely illuminating the tall white pillars standing atop the mountain's peak just outside of the nearest city. Due to the thick clouds gathering in the sky, the ground is hidden from sight.
There is one lone person present on this quiet night, the light from the orb and the glow of the moon falling upon her figure like a spotlight and capturing her every movement. She walks forward, her focus on the moon above as she comes to a stop in the middle of the four pillars that are placed in a perfect circle.
A strong gust of wind blows the coat of her hood away from her face, revealing bright green eyes transfixed on the sky. With a shuddering breath her eyes start to transform, changing from a beautiful emerald to a milky gray and her black pupils turning blood red. Another deep breath racks her body before her head falls back and her mouth falls open, the raspy voice of another passing her lips.
At the edge of the worlds and civilization
A wooden ship will bring with it agents of deceit and destruction
They will destroy an empire
All because of the sins of lust, greed, and envy
Beware the enemies of the empire
For they will destroy the world
The woman's voice wheezes as the gray in her eyes transforms back to deep green. All of the energy leaves her body as she collapses to the ground, her words floating through the dark night's sky towards whoever is willing to listen.
And someone is willing to listen. A young man working as a priest in the temple, to be exact. He wakes up in a cold sweat and gasping for air, a shaking, pale hand clutching at his chest as the haunting words of an unknown woman run on repeat through his head.
A wooden ship.
Enemies of the empire.
Destroy the world.
An involuntary shiver runs up the blond's spine as he flops back down on the bed, his mind racing a mile a minute. He wipes the sweat from his brow in a half-assed attempt to calm himself down from his strange dream.
But, was it a dream? Or something else?
He turns on his side, staring at the large statue on the opposite side of his bed of the God who looks freakishly similar to him. The God of the Hunt, Ventus, cloaked in armor and staring in the distance as he holds a sword at his side.
Everyone joked that they looked like twins, but Roxas thought this was ridiculous. They didn't look anything alike. Him, looking like a GOD?
He release a chuckle at the absurdity, effectively calmed down from his prior freak out as his eyes finally flutter closed and he starts to feel the familiar sensation of sleep tugging at his every muscle.
It's just a dream...
[♥]
"Hey."
Roxas starts to choke in shock at the sudden intrusion, punching himself a few times in the chest as he tries to catch his breath. He glances over his shoulder, groaning in frustration when he realizes it's just his friend entering the kitchen of the temple.
They haven't known each other for long, since he's a fairly new recruit, but so far Roxas likes him. He's definitely more fun than the other priests, most of whom are incredibly dull.
"You almost killed me, Axe," he complains, watching the redhead as he moves towards the lit stove.
"Oops," Axel coos without a care in the world, spilling some water from a jug into a pot standing atop the flame to prepare his tea. "Why are you so jumpy?" Axel adds with a look at the blond seated at the table behind him.
"I'm not jumpy," Roxas stubbornly argues.
He is, but who is Axel to tell him otherwise?
"Okay," Axel laughs disbelievingly, stirring in a pod of tea leaves tied together with a thin string into the very quickly boiling water.
The water burns almost freakishly fast, as if aided by magic. Which would be ridiculous. Only Gods can use magic.
"Wow, that was fast," Roxas notes as Axel pours the liquid into his cup.
"Must have been warm already," Axel dismisses with a wave of his hand, stirring in some honey before he heads over to Roxas' side, sliding in next to him at the long table. "How'd you sleep?" he adds, noticing the bags under the younger boys' eyes.
"Not great," Roxas admits with a sigh, leaning back in his seat as he runs his hands down his face, dragging his skin along with his fingers. "How about you?"
"Fine," Axel responds simply with a sip of his tea as if it's not boiling hot. "Something on your mind?"
"It's just..."
Roxas trails off, cupping his hands around his piping hot mug as he stares down at the swirling, espresso-colored liquid. Should he tell him about his dream last night? Yes, it was just a dream, but it felt so... vivid.
"Out with it," Axel presses.
"It's nothing," Roxas chuckles, looking up to meet Axel's freakishly emerald eyes. "Just a weird dream I had."
"About girls?" Axel asks with a wiggle of his eyebrows.
"What? No. You know we can't think such thoughts about... girls," Roxas mutters the last part with a sigh and a roll of his eyes. "It was about war, okay? Here, in Lucis."
"War?" Axel repeats, his interest suddenly piqued. "Since when does war come to Lucis? We're in a state of peace, thanks to the blessings of the Gods and Goddesses."
Roxas gives a half-hearted nod of agreement. The kingdom of Lucis was basically a paradise compared to so many other cities. They were lucky to be protected by many different entities, their loyalty secured thanks to plentiful donations by the regency and temples scattered about the city.
Roxas and Axel work as priests at the temple dedicated to honoring and worshipping Ventus, in order to ensure a plentiful harvest and bountiful food for the citizens. In return, Ventus watches over the city, to keep out those who would wish Lucis harm and protect its people. While all of the Gods and Goddesses are of great importance and make powerful allies, Ventus is the coveted protector because he's the only one who can keep his famously uncontrollable brother in check.
The last thing any city wants is to piss off the God of War.
"Helloooooo," Axel coos, drawing Roxas from his thoughts once more as he snaps his fingers in front of his face, causing the blond to jump back in shock. "I asked what else happened in your dream."
"Nothing really. It was... more of a prophecy."
"A prophecy, huh?" Axel repeats, tapping a finger on his chin for a moment. "Are you gonna tell anyone? This could have been a God trying to speak to you."
"Trying to talk to me? Yeah, right," Roxas scoffs, shoveling in a big bite of his breakfast.
Axel watches his friend eat, still sipping on his tea as he does so.
A prophecy...
Things just got interesting.
Unfortunately for Roxas, someone standing in the hallway is listening to his every word with his ear pressed against the wall. Once the conversation turns to other, more tedious matters, the man pushes himself away from the wall and hurries down the hallway as fast as he can.
The King would definitely want to hear about this.
[♥]
It's a pretty uneventful day for Axel. After breakfast, he helped to clean the kitchen and then attended morning prayer with the rest of the priests. There's about fifteen of them total, and though Axel's the newest, he's already fit in pretty well. They're all weird and quiet, excluding Roxas, but he doesn't mind. It's gives him lots of time to think.
He's whistling and a spring is in his step as he meanders through the hallways, heading to his room at the very end of the hall made entirely of white marble. That's the pro of living at the temple for Ventus – he has the best temple of all the Gods in Lucis. The only other temple that can compare is the one for the Goddess of Love, Lucis' other protector. But Axel can't exactly fit in there, since she only accepts female priestesses to live in her temple.
Stifling a yawn, he opens his door and heads inside his room. He kicks the door shut with his shoe, and once it's fully secure he's suddenly pressed backwards, his back slammed into the door as a slender hand presses against his chest. His attacker gives a shake of its head, the hood on her cloak falling down and revealing one of the last people he expected to see.
"What the fuck are you doing here, Axel?"
"Lovely to see you too, [Name]. Is that a new dress?" he asks, his eyes scanning down your body as he stares at the material under your thick, black cloak.
"Flattery won't help," you snap, poking him roughly in the chest as you take a step back from him, crossing your arms over your chest. "I thought you were off on vacation, yet lo and behold, here you are. You know we aren't supposed to live amongst mortals."
"Wh... hold on, who even told you I'm here? I specifically made sure you and that goody-goody Ven wouldn't find out," Axel tells you with narrowed eyes as a small smirk grows on your face.
"Then why'd you tell Riku? That boy can't keep a secret to save his life."
"Bastard," Axel grumbles, glancing out the window in his bedroom facing the ocean.
As the God of Fire, life up on Olympus - the sacred world inhabited by the Gods and Goddesses - can get boring pretty easily. They're heavily discouraged from fraternizing with mortals, but Axel's well-known for sneaking down amongst the "commoners," to make new friends and pretend he's one of them. And it appears you've caught him in the act once again, though living as a priest is a new one.
"Why are you here, Axel?" you ask again with a sigh as you raise your hand to rub your temples. "This isn't safe. What if they find out who you are?"
"They won't," he argues stubbornly. "Don't worry, I've made sure of that. Besides, I'm here for you, my love," he adds, his voice dripping with sarcasm as he reaches a hand out for you, which you quickly smack down.
"I'm being serious, Axe."
"So am I!" he points out, holding his arms up in the air for emphasis. "There's something weird going on here, just under the surface. I decided to come down and check it out. And now a kid here in the temple had a prophecy about war coming to Lucis. So looks like I was right to be worried."
"A prophecy about war?" you ask with an intrigued raise of your eyebrow.
"Yup," Axel agrees eagerly. "You should see this guy, by the way. Splitting image of ol' Venny."
"Yeah, right," you argue with a scoff. "Speaking of which, he's gonna kill you when he finds out you're down here living in one of his temples."
"You're gonna tell him? [Name]," Axel coos, reaching out to grab your shoulders. "I know you're new, but no one likes a tattle-tale."
You pause, your lips slightly pursed as you contemplate his statement. Sadly, you are pretty new to this following the untimely passing of your mother – the prior Goddess of Love. Her death was unexpected so she didn't have time to properly train you in everything this "job" entails. As such, a lot has consisted of learning as you go, coupled with relying on a few other Gods/Goddesses for guidance, one of whom is Axel. He's not the most helpful, but he's at least fun.
And really, your duties aren't as bad as others. Of course there's the power of love, which enables you to cause anyone – literally anyone – to fall in utterly insatiable lust with each other. Sadly this ability doesn't work on your fellow Gods/Goddesses, but some of your other abilities do, such as the power to manipulate one's emotions. You're still struggling to fully control this one. But you're getting better with time... kind of.
"Okay, I won't tell Ven," you concede, going against your better judgment. "But!" you add, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him down to your eye level. "You're gonna get me that prophecy in return."
He opens his mouth to respond, only for the doorknob on the door leading into his room to jiggle as someone starts to open it. Your gazes both snap to the door just as a tuft of blond hair pokes inside.
"Were you just talking to someone?" another priest, Demyx, asks with a chuckle. "I could have sworn I just heard a woman's voice."
"No," Axel replies, looking swiftly to where you had just been standing, but you're already gone. "Hey, have you seen Roxas by any chance? I need to ask him something."
"Mm, no, I haven't," Demyx responds, giving a soft hum as he starts to think. "Oh!" he adds with a snap of his fingers in sudden realization. "He was summoned to the royal palace."
"He what?" Axel asks.
"Yeah, the King himself asked for Roxas specifically!" Demyx exclaims with a wide grin. "Exciting, ain't it?"
"... Yeah," Axel mutters, feeling himself start to frown.
Maybe he got himself into a bit of a pickle after all.
[♥]
A man with peppered hair and vivid green eyes is standing at the window of his throne room. The shades are open, allowing a soft breeze to flow inside, bringing with it the salty scent of the ocean just past the rows of homes and shops. The town below is buzzing with life, inhabitants going about their daily business without a care.
The throne room is nestled in at the top of the palace in Lucis, and its decorations imply royalty. The high ceilings are covered in beautiful golden engravings, and the room is bare save for some large and intricately painted pottery by the doorway and a single throne made of stone.
"King Regis."
His thoughts interrupted, the man glances out of the corner of his eyes and spots one of the many city priests standing behind him, flanked by guards. The priest's hair is messy and blond, and eyes a striking blue. He looks concerned, peering around the room pretty non-subtly with his mouth partially open.
"You may leave us," King Regis orders with a slow wave of his hand, again turning his attention to the view from the window.
The soldiers bow in understanding, quickly marching out of the room in tandem. Roxas watches them leave nervously. Never before had he been alone with the King, and he was thoroughly unprepared for the situation. A shaking hand runs down his side in a feeble attempt to straighten out the wrinkles in his white robe.
"Roxas, right?"
"W-hat?" he stammers out, his gaze darting up to the King.
Regis had turned around while the priest was lost in his thoughts, and was now watching him with a bemused smile.
"Your name. Roxas, the youngest of the great Ventus' priests?" Regis repeats.
"Yes, that's me," Roxas agrees with a sharp nod, his shaggy blond hair following the movement. As a priest to the God of the Hunt, human contact is rather rare; he lives a life of loneliness having rejected all societal norms in exchange for a personal relationship with the Gods. "Am I interrupting anything, King Regis?"
"I am always available for a man of the Gods," Regis points out, a raised hand slowly rubbing his defined chin. "Is everything alright? I've heard rumors that you were visited by an Elder."
Roxas' eyes widen, not quite sure how the King of all people had heard of his vision. And was it an Elder who visited him? Such creatures are gifted with the power of Sight, and can see what's to come in the future. So... perhaps it wasn't just a dream after all. Roxas sighs, reaching behind his head to scratch the back of his neck. His skin is sticky to the touch, a sign of the unseasonably warm weather.
"Um... Who told you this?" Roxas asks timidly.
"A man of the cloth, such as yourself. All I know is he overheard you speaking of this prophecy to another priest, and that he has blue hair. I can assume that makes it an easy guess for you, as I doubt there's many priests with blue hair," King Regis muses.
"Zexion," Roxas grumbles bitterly.
Of course it was him.
"That sounds right. Now, may you tell me what you saw?" King Regis presses.
"I'm not so sure what it was." The raspy words of the strange woman once again fill Roxas' mind with warnings of unknown enemies and death, as they had the night before. "I had a vision last night, almost like... a prophecy."
"Of...?" King Regis presses, his voice losing its cheer and instead turning unnerved.
"... The ruin of Lucis."
The King's eyes close, shut so tightly that wrinkles deepen on his face. A hand grabs the armrest of his throne while the slender fingers of his free hand gently massage his temple. His headaches were coming earlier than usual today. A single green eye opens, piercing Roxas' blue orbs like a laser.
"Tell me everything, my boy."
Meanwhile, it's with a heavy heart that you avert your gaze from the scene unfolding below, as the young priest relays the prophecy he had heard the previous night. You had hoped the prophecy was just Axel trying to play a trick with you, but if a priest of the Gods had heard the words of an Elder, it must true.
There was only one person to turn to turn to for guidance at this point, and you could already predict what was going to be said.
[♥ ON OLYMPUS ♥]
"No."
"But-"
"No. You cannot interject yourself into every little problem, [Name]."
The man sitting before you tilts his head, white hair cascading over his shoulder as amber eyes meet yours. Ansem, the King of the Gods, is never particularly friendly but today he was nothing but cold as you stand before him in his chambers on Olympus, the home of the Gods and Goddesses.
Sighing, his eyes lazily draw down to his fingertips as he studies his nails.
"Your purpose is what?" he muses, eyes darting up for a brief second. "Remind me."
A small smile plays at his lips, causing your fingers to curl into angry fists.
"... Love," you mutter, face slightly flushing out of frustration. "And the emotions that go along with it."
"And what does the Goddess of Love know about war? Prophecies? Delicate relationships between large cities and powerful Kings?"
"Everything. Lucis is my city!" you snap, pointing a finger at the smirking male. Ansem had given Ven control over the tiny oceanic village in the south ages ago, and upon your mother's passing, you were brought in to help keep the city safe. Due to Ven's dedication and attention, it had grown to the third largest city in the world, and was continuing to flourish under your and Ven's shared control. "It is my duty to protect those people, and I think someone, somewhere is planning a devastating attack on Lucis. Will you really do nothing?"
Ansem leans forward in his seat, fingers intertwining as his elbows rest on the armrests of his throne. His eyes are watching you like a hawk, your every breath and motion noticed and scrutinized.
"Yes," he agrees in a quiet hiss. "You needn't worry, dear. One woman's vision isn't enough to start a war."
You sigh, raising a hand as two fingers gently massage the skin between his eyebrows.
"Ansem... Won't you just give me a week, to go down there and make sure my city is safe?" you beg as your eyes quickly open, glancing up at the frowning male sitting before him as he leans back in his throne. "Love and War go together, despite your repudiations. I can handle this, if you'll just take off the kiddie gloves and give me a chance to try and forge peace."
"The last time a war was waged between two cities belonging to the Gods, almost half of our ranks were slaughtered," Ansem reminds you. "I figured you'd remember this."
Your eyes narrow ever so slightly as he speaks. It was true; the God of Death and the Underworld (Xehanort, Ansem's brother) had killed five Gods and Goddesses half a century earlier, and hundreds of thousands of citizens perished in the ensuing war as he took over half the world via his city, and a neighbor of Lucis - Niflheim. Ever since, Xehanort had been banished to the Underworld, almost all of his duties relegated to Ansem.
As it stands, the idea of another war is devastating and terrifying. Especially since Xehanort's war killed your mother.
"... Just what do you have in mind?" Ansem finally asks warily.
"I just want to check in on everything, for one week. The royal family of Niflheim will be staying in Lucis, and I want to ensure nothing terrible is underway due to their involvement in the past war."
Ansem sighs, dropping his head down slightly as he closes his tired eyes. Damn his brother and his psychopathic tendencies. He's banished but not dead, and could easily be stirring the pot from behind the scenes between these two cities. Why did he always have to clean up his messes?
"You have my permission," Ansem agrees, his eyes darting down to meet yours. "But!" he adds as a small smirk grows on your face. "You know the rules. No one is to know who you are. You must be an impartial third party, like a fly on the wall."
"Would I act any other way?" you joke.
"No games. No getting involved with mortals. And for the love of everything good in the world, you are not under any circumstances to involve Vanitas."
"I'm trying to avoid war, not start it," you point out before bending at the waist in a respectful bow. "Thank you, sir. I'll be on my best behavior."
"Why do I doubt that?" he asks himself, watching as you all but skip out of the room, shutting the large marble door behind you as you slink out into the hall.
"Checkmate," you chuckle under your breath.
"You know, talking to yourself is the first sign of going crazy."
You quickly glance to the side, spotting Ven strolling towards you with an impish grin on his face. His blond hair is tousled, likely from the wind, and his blue eyes seem even brighter than usual.
"I'm not talking to myself. It's just my inner monologue," you tell him, watching as he comes to a stop in front of you.
"Uh-huh, whatever you say," he teases, staring down at you with a wide grin.
Ven was the first person to be nice to you after you took the position of your mother as a bona fide Goddess. Most just saw you as a nuisance who was in desperate need of training (which was true), but not Ven. He and his friends took you under their wings and brought you up to speed on what exactly life in Olympus entailed.
The life of a God or Goddess is really just a bunch of immortals messing with the mortals living down below. But even that takes some adjustments, especially since not everyone there wants to see you succeed. Some are still bitter over the war, and unfortunately that distrust of her has transferred down to you.
What can you say, your mom definitely lived to create drama.
"Why are you meeting with Ansem?" he asks, nodding at the door behind you.
You glance around the hallway, grabbing onto his wrist as you pull him to the right before you duck in a narrow enclave hidden in the wall.
"You can't tell anyone this," you whisper, and he leans in a bit to hear you better.
"Of course," he agrees with a nod.
"There's been a vision, of war coming to Lucis," you explain, and his eyes grow big as you speak. "And I – I'm going down there, to see what's going on, and make sure the city is safe."
"Alone?!" he exclaims, and you quickly move forward and press a hand over his mouth so he doesn't draw attention to the two of you. "Hell no. I'm coming with you," he decides, his voice back to a whisper as you slowly move your hand down.
"You don't trust me?" you ask him, a hurt expression leaking onto your face.
"I do!" he argues. "It's just... it's dangerous out there."
"Axel's already doing it," you grumble with a roll of your eyes.
"He what?"
"But... I mean, if you want, I can always use more help," you continue, ignoring his question.
Ven grins, resting a shoulder on the wall next to the two of you as he crosses his arms over his chest.
"So... what's the plan?" he asks you with a nod forward of his chin.
"I don't know," you admit with an awkward chuckle.
"Wanna brainstorm?" he suggests.
"Yeah, come by in like half an hour. I need to pack," you tell him as you both step out from the enclave and start to walk down the marble hallway.
"Of course you do," Ven replies with a laugh, patting your back a few times before he veers to the left towards his room.
You watch him for a moment before heading to the right, only to find yourself grabbed by the shoulder and roughly pulled to the side. You let out a groan of pain as you glance up, only to be met by a pair of golden eyes.
"Oh, c'mon, seriously?" you grumble, pushing your attacker away from you with both hands.
"What, I can't check in on my little protégé? Especially when she's planning to go on missions with my annoying brother instead of me?" Vanitas asks, moving your hand out of the way as you keep trying to push him back.
"I specifically was told not to tell you, so..."
You give a meek shrug before trying to slip past him, only for him to reach an arm out, his palm pressed to the wall as he cages you in
"It's about the prophecy, isn't it?" he asks with a smug smirk as you shoot him a look of surprise.
"How'd you hear?" you exclaim.
"Overheard, idiot. You're not exactly quiet."
"Well, you can't come," you haughtily decide, grabbing his wrist and twisting it as hard as you can to force him to move just enough that you can slide past him. "We're trying to stop a war, and I don't trust you to follow that goal," you add with a pointed look his way.
Vanitas' only response is a knowing smirk as he follows you down the hall, keeping at a closer distance than you'd prefer, but you know it's all just a stunt to keep you on your toes.
Where Ven has been helpful the past few decades, Vanitas has been nothing but a pain in your ass since you came here half a century ago. He's brash and probably a psychopath, impossible to negotiate with and always looking to cause chaos wherever he goes – such is the character of the God of War, infamous for his brutality and impulsivity. Everyone, especially mortals, live in fear of bringing on his wrath. But somehow, you've been able to create a pretty comfortable repertoire with him throughout the decades, to the point that you're almost friends now, when he's not trying to fuck with you.
"Lucis is going to fall, Van," you blurt out, glancing up at him as you decide Ansem's approval is less important than getting the God of War on your side. "An Elder saw it, and... I don't recall a time an Elder has ever been wrong."
"They've been wrong before," he tells you.
"Yeah, but this is Lucis. My first real assignment... I love those people, and I believe the city will fall without my help."
"And that's............... bad?" Vanitas guesses with a tick of his eyebrows.
You return his skeptical look with one of sheer annoyance.
"Of course it's bad, you dumbass."
Vanitas chuckles, raising a hand to his face as he starts to rub his chin. As the God of War, nothing delighted him more than hearing a war is imminent. The smell of blood and burning metal never failed to cause a thrilling chill to run up his spine. And the fact that it negatively impacted his obnoxious brother only made it even sweeter.
"Hm. Guess I should go down there with you guys, huh? Since this is kinda my territory, you know. War."
As he speaks, he reaches a hand out to you in order to run a finger down the back of your shoulder. You step away from him, turning around to shoot him a glare.
"No, no, no!" you complain, roughly grabbing his arm in protest. "You can't get involved. You'll only make it worse."
Vanitas merely smirks.
"Oops," he mutters before snapping his fingers.
In the blink of an eye he vanishes, leaving you standing there alone in the ornate hallway. You release a pent-up sigh, letting your head fall back as your mind starts to swim.
All you can do is hope you don't regret bringing him along.