Chapter Text
Seven.
She glanced at the boy with the dark hair, taking his hand in hers as they scurried away to their hiding place, away from the king, away from her father, away from her brother.
“We’re going to get in trouble,” Noctis warned as she led him further away from the calls.
“I know,” she said with an edge of carelessness, “I don’t want to see them.”
“Y/n, we need to go back,” he said, though, he made no attempt to turn. He followed her, his hand still gripped tightly in hers as she led him through the labyrinth of halls until she found the vent she was looking for. She pulled the covering off, and carefully climbed in, pulling Noctis inside with her.
This vent led to the hall across the elevator, from there, she would take him down and crawl through the boiler room and out of the palace. They would live off the land; she could hunt, he could fish. They would both learn to cook together. They would be together. No one would tell her what she couldn’t do anymore.
She crawled through the vent, stopping only when Noctis paused behind her. She turned, meeting his gaze, “Come on.”
“Where are we going?”
“Away,” she answered, tugging on his hand. But he remained solid, planted in his spot.
“We are going back,” he ordered, sounding more like a Prince than her friend.
She sighed, frustrated, kicking the metal vent and pouting at his words.
Didn’t he trust her?
She glanced at him, those blue eyes flashed with concern, those blue eyes that she often found solace in. She shrugged his hand away from hers, “Then you go back. I’m going away, far away.”
Y/N turned, trying to hide the tears from him. She didn’t want him to see her like this, she didn’t like to cry in front of him. She was of the Amicitia, her blood was strong, her life held the power to protect and guard the royal line, how was she to protect her prince with tears in her eyes?
How was she to protect her prince?
It was the object of her irritation, of her pain, knowing that as the daughter of Clarus Amicitia, she was not expected to serve the royal line the way her brother, Gladiolus, was. Their duty was one of great honor, and one they wore as a badge of pride. But not her.
She wanted to. Why couldn’t she? She was just as capable as her brother! She could fight just as well as her brother! Gladiolus taught her how to fight, and for being seven she was good! He told her! He said she was just as good as him!
“Y/n?” Noctis’ voice whispered with concern. His small hand grasped hers, and he pulled her in for a hug, “It’s okay.”
“I can protect you,” y/n whimpered as Noctis stroked her hair and held her close against his small chest, his heart beating loudly in her ears as her tears soaked the front of his shirt.
“I know,” he agreed, “But right now, I need to protect you. And we need to go back.”
Y/n sniffled, burying her face deeper into Noctis’ chest, avoiding his gaze and her shame. She was going to hear it, loud and hard. Not just from her father, but from Gladdy. She couldn’t bear the thought of upsetting her big brother, her teddy bear.
Reluctantly, y/n nodded and finally allowed Noctis to see her. His small fingers glided over her face, his thumbs wiped the tears from her eyes. He pulled her in and planted a small kiss on her forehead. Y/n felt her heart flutter, her stomach churned and her breath stilled on her lips.
She didn’t know what it meant, all she knew was that she wanted him to do it again, and she was mildly disappointed when he grasped her hand and led her out of the vent instead.
Without protest, she followed.
She prepared herself for the onslaught of lectures she would no doubt receive. Noctis would hear it too, she knew. In her efforts to prove herself and show that she could protect the prince, she led him into more trouble.
The guilt was settling in now.
She had done it.
Gladiolus was the first to reach them, “Y/n! What are you doing?! Do you have any idea–”
“I’m sorry Gladdy, I just– I wanted to–”
“I know,” he said, pulling her in for a hug. He wasn’t mad, not at his little sister. How could he be? How could he be mad at her, when he was the one that filled her head with the things that she fought for now?
“Gladiolus!” Y/n, Noctis, and Gladiolus turned to see King Regis, along with the Head of the Amicitia family, Clarus, rushing towards them, “Are they alright?”
Noctis groaned, “I’m fine, dad. We’re fine.”
“I’m sorry, King Regis,” y/n whispered, avoiding his eyes, not baring to see the disappointment she was sure was there, “I–”
“We were going to play hide and seek,” Noctis chimed in.
All eyes fell on Noctis. Clarus and Gladiolus knew why y/n took Noctis away, what her intentions were. Still, they remained silent as the prince spoke, “She was just about to hide when she heard you were looking for us.”
“Then,” King Regis started, knowing for a fact that Noctis was lying, “Why is she crying?”
“She didn’t want to get in trouble. Not for me.”
Clarus glanced at Gladiolus, and then to the King who seemed to accept the lie. It was hard to read what expression he had, as his face remained still and focused, “Well then, Noctis, I believe you should head to your chambers, we will speak later.”
Noctis nodded, and did as he was told. His hand reluctantly released hers, and she felt a shiver of sadness trickle down her spine.
King Regis turned to y/n now, “You have a brave heart, little one. A kind heart. As does my son.”
He kneeled down in front of her, a tiny smile on his lips, his eyes were kind while her father’s burned with shame, “I have no doubt that you will grow to protect one another, just as your father has protected me, and your brother protects Noctis.”
A smile spread across her small lips at hearing the King’s voice. She bowed, watching in awe as King Regis pressed a loving kiss to her cheek and turned, walking away as graceful as a king should.
Her father cleared his throat, and reluctantly, y/n met his blue eyes, waiting for the lecture, “Gladiolus, take your little sister home. Stay there with her. And no more fighting.”
Y/n started to protest, but immediately held her tongue. She allowed Gladdy to lead her out of the palace. He was silent the whole way back home, speaking up only when the car stopped in front of the Amicitia mansion, “Dad is angry, you know that right?”
“Yes,” she answered in a small voice as Gladio took her hand and led her to the backyard, “Is Noctis in trouble?”
“Probably for lying,” he answered, “The King won’t be too hard on him, since he took the fall for you.”
Y/n felt the shame deepen in her bones, “I didn’t want him to.”
“I know,” he said as he sat on the grass, pulling her on his lap.
“I just wanted to show dad– I can protect him! I can do what you do! I want to!” she exclaimed, pushing herself up from Gladio’s lap and stamping her foot, “I can fight!”
Gladio chuckled, “Y/n–”
“It’s because I’m a girl right?!”
“It’s not your duty,” he said simply, “You can find other things to do with your time– Maybe Iggy can teach you how to cook instead. Or you could just stay home and play dolls with Iris.”
“I don’t want to cook and I don’t want to play with dolls! I want to be like you! I want to be like dad!”
“Y/n… Our duty isn’t a game, our lives are–”
“Gladiolus,” her father’s voice sounded from the patio in front of the large black back doors, “See to Iris and your mother. I need to have a word with y/n.”
Gladio nodded, leaving y/n to face the music, alone.
Once the door closed behind him, Clarus slowly approached her, his hands behind his back as he started, “How many times must we have this discussion?”
Y/N pouted, crossing her arms in stubbornness, “Until you let me do Gladdy’s job.”
“Y/n, I allowed your brother to teach you to fight in the event that you needed to protect yourself, but you are taking it too far. No more fighting lessons from your brother,” he raised a hand to stop her as she began to protest, “You have taken this too far for too long. Prince Noctis lied to protect you, is that how a shield protects her prince? By having him take the fall for her?”
Tears welled around her eyes, she felt the shame rising in her once again, “I didn’t mean to get him in trouble.”
“But you did,” he paused, sighing as he caught her expression, “There are other passions you could pursue, sweetheart, less dangerous ones.”
“I can fight,” y/n pressed, stubbornly refusing to give in.
“You will not.”
“I will, and I can!” she shouted, wanting him to listen to her. It was unfair, it was frustrating to see that she was capable enough, and she would get better if they just trusted her!
“Enough! You are to drop these silly notions of yours and if I see you with a sword in hand, so help me, y/n, you will spend the rest of your days– y/n! Come back here now!”
But she wasn’t listening anymore, her legs pushed her further and further away from his voice. She didn’t want to hear it. She would not hear it. At seven she knew that no one would listen.
Not even Noctis.
Nine
It was all she could do to stop listening, yet again, about the fair, wonderful and oh so lovely Lady Lunafreya Nox Fleuret. Y/N sullenly brushed her hair out of her face as she held her hand out to Noctis in an attempt to help pull him up the unkempt branches of the tree they climbed. Her mind was filled with thoughts of wanting to push Noctis off the branches to shut him up, but she digressed and opted to try to help him instead, knowing that he might not appreciate the gesture.
Ever since his accident, he became more proud, more firm in the idea that he didn’t need help and could do things on his own.
Y/N respected that, however, that didn’t stop her from trying to help. That, and the fact that the alternative was to push him out of the branches, well… helping was preferable.
Still, Noctis ignored her hand, just as she thought he would, and continued with his train of thought as he pulled himself up the branches and leaned against the tree trunk, “Luna says that maybe one day we’ll be together again.”
She pulled a small branch from a larger branch, peeling the leaves off and swinging it against the tree, “Together?”
“Yes,” Noctis huffed as he turned and glanced at Y/N. She returned his stare with curious eyes, he seemed…. Hopeful. Was that what it was?
She wasn’t sure, reading emotions was still coming to her. Gladio told her that it was rare anyone could hide anything from her, Noctis was different. Sometimes, he was harder to read. He turned, deciding that peeling the bark from the tree was far more entertaining, “She says that the Oracle’s job is to make sure that the king is–”
“Do you want to get ice cream?” Y/n asked in an attempt to avoid the subject at hand.
She’d heard it hundreds of times. She didn’t care to hear it again.
“–Up to his duties. I have a destiny to fulfill, or at least that’s what she says.”
Y/N rolled her eyes, staring up at the thick leaves above her instead, her eyes narrowing at the sound of the distant thunder. Noctis remained quiet, speaking in a soft tone when he finally did continue, “I hope she’s okay.”
She allowed herself a peek at his face; his eyes were dreamy for a moment, replaced by a solemn stare into the distance. His mind was far from her, far from the Citadel, far from Insomnia. His mind was back in Tenebrae… with Luna.
Doing her best to remain indifferent, Y/N tried to quell the feeling of resentment inside of her, because after all, Lunafreya’s homeland was invaded. Her mother was murdered in front of her. She became a prisoner in her own home. Y/N couldn’t blame her for anything…
But, she still couldn’t help the edge of frustration that she felt towards the Oracle for the way Noctis was feeling now.
Her Noctis.
Furrowing her brows, she swallowed the feeling in her throat, a huge lump that made her tremble and sent shivers down her spine as she attempted to offer words of comfort, “I’m sure she’s fine; they won’t hurt her.”
“How are you so sure?” he asked, looking up at her, tears brimmed the edges of his blue eyes. The sight makes y/n’s insides twist; it made her want to reach down and hug him, but something held her back. Something inside of her told her that even if she were to hug him, he would probably imagine it to be Luna instead. And Y/N couldn’t bear that thought.
She sighed, pursing her lips as she answered, “I’m not, I just don’t think it would be smart of them to hurt her; she is the oracle after all.”
It was just words. She wasn’t sure if she believed them, but the smile that lit up his face was worth the empty words she spoke. As much as she disliked the feeling that it brought her when Noctis spoke of Luna, she found herself in awe of his smiles- which were few and rare not only after his accident, but after the invasion in Tenebrae.
“She’d like you,” he said, pulling her out of her thoughts, “You’re a fighter. She likes that.”
“A fighter. Is that all I am?” she spat, more venom in her words than she had meant. Was that all he saw you as? Someone that fights all the time? Someone that fights her brother, her father, traditions?
“What? No,” Noctis starts, confused where the sudden flash of anger came from, “I think–I think you’re… amazing.”
Rolling her eyes, she attempted to hide her face. The heat in her cheeks brought a bit of sudden shyness to her. She glanced back at Noctis, who was pulling his fingers awkwardly.
“Wanna play hide and seek?” y/n offered, not giving him the chance to answer as she was already climbing down the tree in a rush, in an attempt to leave him behind for a moment, to get a few minutes of solitude.
The feelings inside of her were overwhelming, colliding with one another. None of it made sense.
Was it bashfulness at his comment?
Was it the fact that she felt Noctis focused more on Luna than her?
She’s not sure.
But as much as she wants to get away from him, she finds that she wants to stay with him even more.
Reluctantly, she slows to a slow walk. A spring babbled quietly nearby, and she had half a mind to jump in it, however, she wasn’t sure if Noctis would join her.
Two years ago he would have.
Instead, she opted to lean against the trunk of a thick tree. She closed her eyes, inhaling the scent of fresh air. The spring wind carried the signs of an oncoming storm. Her eyes opened once more, a small smile spread across her lips as the sky darkened. As much as she loved summer, she loved the rain even more. There was something calming and soothing about the water falling on her bare skin, cleansing and refreshing everything around her; even her mind.
She hoped that maybe it would cleanse the ugly, vile thoughts in her mind concerning Lunafreya. She didn’t like to feel so… she wasn’t sure what it was but she knew that she didn’t like it. It made her feel disgusting, off. She wasn’t used to it. Everyday, she had hoped that it would subside, but it only grew to become intense and almost crippling as time went on.
It didn’t help that she felt alone in this. She wasn’t sure who to speak to about it. Her relationship with Gladio was great, she loved her big brother… but, feelings? She had a grasp on others, not her own. Gladio had a grasp on his sword, that was the extent of it.
Then again, it wasn’t like she tried to ask him.
Her relationship with her father was strained.
The same with her mother.
Too out of control, they said about her.
Iris was too small to understand. Smaller than she was, what could she know about her feelings?
And Noctis. No. She wouldn’t tell him. He had his own things to deal with.
A small chirping from her right hand side brought her out of her overwhelming and all consuming thoughts. Her y/e/c eyes fell on the shape that writhed in the ground, a snake coiled around it, suffocating it. Without hesitation, she rushed towards it; she grasped the snake tightly in her hand until it loosened its hold on the small bird.
Nature was cruel sometimes, and she understood that this was the natural order of things. But the snake could find another source of food instead of killing a creature that was weakened. She tossed the snake far away, wishing it best. Her eyes fell on the bird as it continued to writhe on the ground, it’s chirping become fraught with panic.
Carefully, she grasped it in her hands, it’s feathers shimmering with every movement as she whispered, “You poor thing, let me help you.”
The chirping escalated as y/n observed the bird, it’s left wing was broken. It couldn’t fly anymore. She’s not sure how to help the bird, she’s not even sure if it will survive.
And suddenly, all the frustration she felt came tumbling out of her eyes in the form of tears.
She sunk to the ground, rocking back and forth as she panted, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
How could she hope to protect Noctis when she couldn’t protect this poor creature?
How would Noctis feel about her if she couldn’t prove herself to him, to her father?
The tears stream down her face. She felt them fall onto her hands, onto the bird.
“Y/N?”
The bird suddenly flapped its wings, she watched in awe and confusion as it flew from her grasp as Noctis stepped through the bushes. His blue eyes watched her curiously, “What were you doing?”
“I-” she stammered, glanding at her hands in confusion. The bird that was snuggled in her hold flew. It’s wing was broken though…
She heard happy chirping coming from the tree above her; she quickly glanced up to see the same bird that was in her hands just moments ago nestled in its nest as if nothing had happened.
Y/N’s eyes narrow in suspicion and uncertainty. She turned as Noctis kneeled in front of her, his fingers reached for her face, and suddenly Y/N shuddered at his touch as his gentle fingers wiped the tears away. Y/N is taken aback when his arms are suddenly wrapped around hers, “Why are you crying?”
“No reason,” she sniffled, inhaling his scent. It’s comforting, the way her head feels against his chest. She closed her eyes, listening to the sound of his heartbeat.
“You don’t have to lie to me, y/n,” he whispered, brushing his fingers through her hair.
She remained silent, overwhelmed at the touch of his fingers, hyper aware of the way his hand felt against her own skin. She wanted to stay like this forever, it felt… like she belonged here.
The thought, as much as she wanted to stay in his arms, brought more confusion to her.
“I thought the bird was going to die,” she said. Not entirely a lie, but not entirely the truth either.
Noctis shifted against her. He looked up at the bird in the tree, y/n followed suit, “What happened to it?”
She bit her lip, not sure how she would answer his question. She could tell him that the snake was coiled around it, she could tell him that it had a broken wing.
But that was the thing.
It had a broken wing.
And now it was like it never even happened.
How could she explain that? He would surely be expecting an explanation.
Noctis’ eyes are on her now, waiting. She shrugged, not sure how else to answer him.
His eyes are questioning, luckily, the thunder in the distance made Noctis’ head jerk towards the sky, “We should get going.”
She wanted to protest, not only did she want to stay to feel the rain, she found herself wanting the moment to last. She wanted his arms to stay wrapped around hers, she didn’t want to let him go. And she suddenly felt so tired, her body ached, and her head began to throb painfully.
But before she could object, Noctis was on his feet and pulled her away with him. Y/n grasped her temple, pressing down on it to alleviate the pressure that was building.
She turned her head towards the tree, she feels some form of relief as she sees the bird fly from it’s nest, singing a song as it disappears amongst the trees.
How could a broken wing suddenly be fine?
She pushed the thoughts away as she felt the first drops of rain fall on her skin. Noctis shouted, laughing. His laughter is infectious, and soon, she feels something flowing through her, it felt surreal, almost binding.
She isn’t sure what it is either.
So, she did what she always did…. She swallowed it, pushed it down and locked it all away.
Twelve.
Thwack. Thwack. Thwack.
The sound of the wooden swords clashing against each other filled the empty room. Y/N had spent most of her time training these days, opting to take out her frustration in the safety of the room instead of fighting in school, again.
She had already pushed her father to his wit’s end, and he had completely forbidden any form of fighting; now, she had to train in secret.
It was the only way Gladio agreed to help her. She had to promise to stop fighting in school. Easy enough.
The training sessions were designed to discipline her, to focus, to redirect her anger and frustration.
“You gonna tell me why you’re so grumpy now?” Gladio asked as he swung hard at her.
Y/N dodged, rolling to the side. She probed for an opening, knowing full well that Gladio would have all his bases covered, “I’m not grumpy.”
“Bullshit,” he called out, swinging again.
Y/N parried this time, the weight of his powerful blow brought her to her knees. She trembled, using all her strength to hold the wooden sword against his. He pushed harder, forcing her onto the ground, “Focus. Clear your mind.”
“I did!”
“If you did, you would have been able to dodge that!”
“I blocked–”
“How many times have I told you? When a bigger opponent swings at you, it’s best to dodge and assess his weaknesses instead of jumping into the fight, you were trying to swing back,” Gladio growled.
Y/N huffed, twirling the wooden sword in her hand, “Fine.”
“You might want to take it easier on her,” a voice sounded from the doorway. Y/N quickly tossed the wooden sword on the ground. If her father had caught her and Gladio practicing… well, Gladio would be in far worse trouble than she.
Alas, it was Ignis and Y/N breathed a sigh of relief.
“Do you think her opponents will take it easy on her?” Gladio asked, swinging his sword.
Ignis was not impressed. He sighed as he removed his coat and stepped onto the sparring floor. He held his hand out, Gladio handed him the wooden sword as he stepped aside, leaning against the wall as he observed while Ignis started, “Strength is important, but so is finesse. I feel that every fighter needs a balance, but you also need to find something that works for you, your own personal style.”
She tilted her head, “Like?”
“For example, your brother prefers a greatsword, whilst I find daggers and lances preferable. Noctis is adept in most weapons–”
“Of course he is,” Y/N mumbled.
“– you just need to figure out which you prefer. In the meantime, I will teach you how to utilize speed and agility, whilst Gladio teaches you strength.”
“C’mon Iggy, I think I can handle how to train my little sister,” Gladio scoffed from the wall.
“I never said you couldn’t, but it doesn’t hurt to show her more,” Ignis retorted. He got into his fighting stance, and motioned for her to begin.
Y/N quickly swung her sword, Ignis quickly blocked and proceeded to smack her in different areas of her body before she could understand what was happening.
Her eyes widened, and she suddenly felt the adrenaline begin to course through her. She turned and swung again, however, Ignis was already behind her, smacking the back of her knee. Y/N held back a groan of pain, swinging wildly once more.
Smack.
Swing.
Smack.
Smack.
SMACK!
By the end of the sparring session, Y/N could scarcely feel her legs or arms.
“Take it easy, he said,” Gladio chuckled, handing Y/N a bottle of water.
She snatched it from his hand and quickly chugged the clear liquid, feeling like there was nothing better.
“I did, easier than you at least,” Ignis retorted as Gladio grabbed the wooden swords. Ignis turned back to Y/N, “I hear you and Noctis haven’t been seeing each other much as of late.”
Y/N shrugged.
It was safe to say that her relationship with Noctis had been on it’s last leg for the last few years. She couldn’t blame him entirely, she had her share of blame. She wanted him to snap out of this gloom that consistently plagued him, and he wanted her to leave him be, “He’s a big baby.”
Ignis chuckled, “Give him time, you know he’s worried about–”
“Luna, yeah I know,” she says with a roll of her eyes. She strode towards the door, gathering her belongings.
“You could stand to be a bit more considerate of his hardships,” he consoled in a gentle tone.
Y/N picked up her bag and swung it over her shoulder, scoffing as she responded, “Everyday; it’s Luna this, Luna that. For years. I’m sick of it. I’m sick of her. I’m sick of him.”
“I don’t think you mean that,” Ignis insisted in a soft tone.
“I do.”
“Maybe you should go to him,” he pressed, “You are the oldest friend he has, you did everything together. I’d say, it’s not worth losing all those years of friendship over jealousy.”
“Jealousy?” she asked, abashed.
Ignis raised his brows, “Yes.”
“I’m not jealous,” Y/N snapped.
“Of course not,” he smirked.
Y/N scoffed, pushing the door open.
Jealous. Yeah right.
There was no way she was jealous. She wasn’t a jealous person.
But, the more she thought of it, the more she realized that it was a lie.
She was jealous of her brother for being the shield of the king, when Noctis would come of age, it would become Gladio’s duty to protect him, and nothing she did would change that. She could yell and fight all she wanted, but it was sealed.
She was jealous that she wasn’t as good a fighter as her brother.
Maybe the feeling she felt towards Luna was jealousy. It made sense… her stomach turned everytime Noctis spoke of her. Her insides twisted in on each other at the thought that Noctis stayed up late at night, thinking of her.
She sighed, Ignis was right.
Instead of heading home like she had originally intended, she took a different turn and followed the familiar turns and corners to his bedroom.
Awkwardly, she knocked on his chamber door.
An exasperated voice sounded from the other side, “Come in.”
Trembling, y/n pushed the door open. She flashed him a smile, “Hey, you.”
“Hey.”
“What are you up to?” she asked, watching him as he laid on his bed, his eyes on the ceiling.He shrugged, taking a quick glance at her before turning his gaze back.
“You’re looking at it.”
Y/N scowled. She dropped her bag on the floor and ran towards his bed. She jumped on it, stirring him from his gloomy state, “Why don’t we go do something?”
Noctis was not pleased. He sighed warily, “I don’t want to.”
She ignored him, dropping herself on the bed. She grabbed a pillow, smacking him across the face with it, “Come oooooon. Let’s do something! It’s been awhile! It’s nice and warm out, we can go swimming!”
“I don’t want to go swimming,” Noctis said, withdrawn.
“How about the movies? We can go watch that new one about the aliens.”
“No.”
“Park?”
“No.”
“Oh I know!” y/n exclaimed, slapping his leg as she jumped over him. She straddled him, surprising him. His eyes finally focused on her, “We can go to the arcade! They have new games–”
Noctis furrowed his brows. His hands grasped her sides firmly as he pushed her off. She fell from the bed, onto the floor as he spat, “I don’t want to go to the park! I don’t want to go to the arcade! I don’t want to do anything with you!”
Y/N wasn’t sure which she felt more, hurt or anger. She bit the inside of her lip as she pushed herself up.
His blue eyes, which were vacant and withdrawn moments ago, were suddenly filled with regret, “Y/N, I’m sorry– I didn’t mean to– I’m just–”
Y/N clenched her fist. She wanted so badly to hurt him. To make him feel what he made her feel, not just now. But all those years that he stayed locked in his room, preferring to wallow in his sorrow, “I’m done with you.”
“What?”
She turned on her heel. As she reached for her belongings, Noctis quickly jumped from his bed. He stood in front of the door, blocking her way out, “Y/n I didn’t mean to–”
“Yes you did! I’m sick of this, I’m sick of you!”
Noctis exhaled, “Please– you’re the only friend I have.”
The words, even though they were meant to be comforting, slashed her like a knife. Her eyes narrowed, “Why don’t you write to Luna, instead. She seems to be more of a friend to you than I have.”
“Wha–”
With that, Y/N pushed Noctis out of the way. She pulled the door open, making sure to slam it behind her so he would know how upset angry she was.
Maybe that was the reason why he never called on her again
She never saw him after that.
Sixteen.
Y/N successfully landed an attack on Ignis. Gladio was strong, his hits were powerful and oftentimes she buckled under the pressure of his strength, but Ignis was quick, precise and lethal. Sometimes, she felt that Ignis was far more dangerous than Gladio for this reason.
Today, she practiced against both.
And today, she realized the extent of her own strength.
One thing about her that every person underestimated, was that she never gave up. Even if she was against the wall, she fought back. She refused to go down without a fight.
It was that pride that kept her going. Her original motive to be strong was so she could protect Noctis, to show them all that she could do it. To prove them all wrong.
Thinking of Noctis sent a quick shiver down her spine that quickly subsided as she successfully jumped out of a hard blow from her brother. Her wooden sword smacked his legs, bringing him to his knees.
Instinctively, she stepped sideways as Ignis attacked her from behind. His wooden sword smacked Gladio in the face instead of her as she swung her own sword, aiming for his face.
“Outstanding!” Ignis shouted as he wiped blood from his lip, “You’ve gotten better!”
“Not good enough though!” Gladio grunted, picking himself up. He swung his wooden sword. She sidestepped, but she realized her mistake a little too late. He changed the direction of his sword, it was coming down on her. It would land flat on her head, and bash her open.
She wasn’t sure how she did it.
But the sudden flash of lightning that ejected from her hands was enough to send her brother flying backwards into the wall.
Her mouth fell open in shock. Gladio stared at her with a look of horror, and surprise. Her eyes fell on Ignis, whose lips pursed in curiosity.
Y/N dropped her wooden sword and quickly scurried towards her brother, kneeling beside him, “Gladdy! Are you alright?”
Gladio’s expression was still horror stricken. He shut his eyes tight, shaking his head in an attempt to clear whatever thoughts were currently running through his mind, “Y-yeah. I’m cool.”
“Let me get you some water, just… sit here and don’t move,” y/n started. She strided across the room swiftly, spotting her brother’s bag, she began to rummage through it, groaning when she grasped the bottle in her hands only to discover that it was near empty.
“He can have some of mine,” Ignis offered, holding out his sleek black tumbler.
“Thank you,” Y/N murmured.
“I didn’t know you could use magic… is that the first time you’ve done it?” he asked, eyeing her curiously.
Y/N avoided his gaze.
No, she wanted to answer. But, there was something inside of her that felt that this information was not something she could share with just anyone.
It was known that not many people could wield the king’s magic. The only ones that could were the Crownsguard and the Kingsglaive. Y/N was neither of those.
And… there were… other incidents.
Other times.
She recalled the bird in the park years ago, when she was still friends with Noctis.
His name alone was enough to bring her back to reality, to now. The feeling in her chest spread like wildfire. She quickly pushed it down, the way she always did when he came looming in her mind.
“Yes,” she lied, turning and jogging towards Gladio to avoid any further conversation with Ignis.
She didn’t like the way he was looking at her. It wasn’t creepy, she knew Ignis was a gentleman. It was more like intrigue. As if the gears in his head started turning and he began to draw conclusions, various hypotheses as to why she was able to use magic. If he only knew the extent of it.
Gladio’s expression was back to normal now. He grabbed Ignis’ tumbler from her hands and took a large chug of water, drops dripping from the edges of his lips.
“Feeling better?” she asked anxiously, biting her tongue.
“Yeah,” he grunted, “Training’s over. Why don’t you go ahead and head on home, yeah?”
“Sorry,” y/n mumbled.
Gladio patted her head, smiling cheerfully at her, “Don’t be kiddo; you whooped mine and Iggy’s asses today. I’d say that your training has reached its end.”
“But–”
“No arguing, you promised a long time ago,” he reminded her. Y/N scowled– one of the conditions of his agreeing to train her, even at their father’s behest, was that she not argue with him, in addition to staying out of trouble.
Both were hard.
But, Gladio always kept his end of the deal, so he did as well.
She nodded. Gladio playfully pushed her. She rolled her eyes as she got to her feet and sauntered over to her belongings, all the while ignoring Ignis’ stare.
As she exited the room, she caught one last glimpse of Gladio and Ignis, both speaking in hushed voices, and she could swear that her brother looked… afraid.
The Amicitia mansion was dead silent in the midst of the night. Y/N’s eyes were glued to the ceiling as the wind rustled through the leaves outside. She left her window open to feel the breeze on her skin, a welcome feeling while her thoughts ran wild in her head.
Magic.
Why was she able to wield it?
It was never something she had given much thought to, she had no cause to. She just assumed everyone was able to do it.
However, once she realized that only certain people were able to wield it, she understood that she was… an anomaly? Different? Was she?
She had a lot in common with the Crownsguard, and the Glaives. She wasn’t really all that different.
If that was the case, why was it that she kept it a secret?
That feeling inside of her rose up in her throat. It was one of secrecy. Something foreign urged her to keep these abilities to herself… especially the other one.
She sighed, feeling a bit uncomfortable laying on her back. Turning on her side, her eyes fell on the nightstand near her bed. A tinge of sadness welled in her chest at the sight of the lonely picture frame on the smooth surface. Y/N rarely had photos in her bedroom, what for? But this one…
It was an old one; one that she tried to get rid of, yet, it was difficult to do so. And it was just this one picture that try as she might, she could not throw, tear or burn.
It was Noctis’ eighth birthday, before the accident. Before… everything. He could have had anything he wanted, and yet he chose to spend the day at the aquarium with her, when asked if there was anyone else he wanted to bring, Noctis shook his head, saying that Y/N was the only person he wanted to spend his birthday with. Of course, later on, he invited Ignis and Gladio. They were his best friends too, after all. More like… brothers.
The quartet spent the whole day together watching all forms of marine life. Many people greeted the Prince with respect, and he was courteous, of course, but once they were left alone, he relaxed and became his aloof, goofy self. It was a wonderful day; a day where they were all allowed to let loose and just be children. Not that Noctis was ever denied that, but, being a prince has its downsides.
In the photo, Y/N and Noctis stood side by side. Noctis had his arm around her shoulders, holding her tightly against him as if to protect her from everyone else. She had her arms around his waist, clinging to him.
She grabbed the silver frame in her hands, inspecting the photo inside the glass. She recalled those times, when she was the one that longed to protect him, when she wanted to be his shield. When she had those… feelings.
This photo was the only thing she had of him. She hadn’t seen Noctis in years, not up close anyway. After their fight, after she stormed off, y/n had made it a point to avoid him at all costs. Every other photo she had with him, be it in her phone or her computer, was deleted in a fit of rage. The gifts he gave her were tossed out. Every bit of his existence was erased from her life.
If she was in the Citadel training with Gladio, and Noctis managed to enter the room at that moment, she quickly dropped what she was doing, leaving the room in a huff, refusing to acknowledge him.
Gladio and Ignis both tried to mend the friendship, however, they underestimated her stubbornness. If Noctis wanted to make things better, he showed no indication of doing so.
She assumed he didn’t want to.
And she wasn’t sure how to feel about it at first, until eventually, she just stopped caring altogether.
Eventually, both Ignis and Gladio stopped trying to force her to talk to him.
She wasn’t sure how to feel about that either.
Life went on, and she excelled in her training. Today proved just how far along she had come. Of course, it also proved how there was something about her that wasn’t… right.
Her hands gently stroked the glass of the photo frame; she locked eyes with the younger Noctis, wondering how he looked now. She had seen photos of him in the newspaper, on the internet, on TV. But she hadn’t seen him in person, and there was a small part of her that longed to lock eyes with those blue eyes once more, to fall forever into those pools of deep oceans.
She wondered if he was still friends with Luna.
A small bit of jealousy surged through her at the thought of the Oracle.
As time went on, she realized that her jealousy wasn’t justified. She was jealous of Luna for one reason only, and it was that Noctis cared fiercely for her. That alone made her feel second, a thought she loathed and detested.
But, that didn’t mean that she was going to forgive Noctis for his treatment of her.
She groaned, feeling frustrated with herself for being so proud.
Yawning, she laid the photo on her chest as she slowly drifted off to sleep. It was a secret that she slept the photo over her heart sometimes; it was on the days when she was unsure of herself, it was on the nights when she felt lonely, when she felt secluded.
Tonight was one of those.
Gladio hadn’t come home tonight, so she didn’t get a chance to ask him about what happened today. She wanted answers.
How was she able to wield magic?
Her father hadn’t come home either, that wasn’t rare though. Often, her father spent his nights at the Citadel– being the King’s shield was a full time gig. It was a miracle in and of itself that Gladio even came home with how seriously he took his duty of protecting Noctis.
Iris and her mother spent most of the day out and about; a girl’s day out, so to speak. As much as she appreciated the invitation, Y/N passed, preferring to ponder on the day without having to deal with probing questions from not only her mother, but Iris as well. She could go without any more curious looks.
In the end, as much as she wanted answers, she realized that she would not get them.
She was alone.
This school year was something she was looking forward to. School was not something she particularly enjoyed, however, she kept her frustrations silent, choosing to humor her father instead of partaking in another verbal argument about how her education was important. It wasn’t up for debate, Gladio backed her father on that one. Despite her protests and detestment towards school, she raked in the good grades, getting her father off her back and more training sessions from Gladio. It was worth it, she supposed.
That didn’t mean she had to like it. She had multiple reasons to despise it. For one, she had little to no friends, this stemmed from her earlier years fighting with anyone and everyone. Of course, this wasn’t to say that she didn’t try. Other people also noticed that she was different, and according to some of the students, different was bad.
However, this year was bound to be better, as she managed to convince her father to allow her to transfer. This was something she did fight her father on; she stayed out of trouble in her previous school, but the loneliness was starting to take its toll on her. She wanted to remember her school years; she wanted to start fresh.
She wanted friends.
Once she made this clear to her father, he finally caved and enrolled her in a new school.
Y/N tried to avoid the stares of the students as she navigated the corridors of the strange building, this was probably the only downside– having to relearn where everything was. That, and people whispering about the new girl. Still, y/n reminded herself that she was trying to turn over a new leaf, so she smiled at a few girls who furrowed their brows at her in confusion.
She chose to ignore them. Glancing down at her slip, she surveyed the numbers over the doors, pausing when she reached her classroom. Y/n grated her teeth as she took in the layout. Most of the seats were already filled, leaving only one desk that was in the front row, right in the center of the class.
Great.
Reluctantly, she strolled towards the empty desk, carefully setting her bag on the smooth, clean surface as she awkwardly tried to make sure her skirt didn’t ride up. Her worst fear was to give these people a free show, and the uniform didn’t help.
She sat quietly, waiting for class to begin.
Once the bell rang, she watched as the teacher strolled in. He was a small, portly man with a thick head of hair and kind eyes. Y/n felt bad for spacing out when he introduced himself, only coming to when he began to call roll, and she realized that her name was called out.
The class was silent as she answered, “Present.”
The teacher, whose name she didn’t manage to catch, smiled kindly at her as he started, “One fact about you, Ms. Amicitia?”
“Oh, um,” y/n stammered. What the hell was there to share?
I can do magic?
I like to fight?
“I’m a transfer student?”
“Is that so? Where are you transferring from?” he asked, intrigued.
“Apricus High School,” y/n answered.
“Well, we are very pleased to have you here,” he remarked with a smile. Y/n pursed her lips, smiling tightly as he continued.
Once more, she felt herself begin to lose focus. For some strange reason, Gladio hadn’t been home in almost a week, not since the… incident. She wondered where he was, it was rare of him not to come home, it was even more rare that he would not call or message her, being that she and Gladio were really close.
“Noctis Caelum.”
Y/N’s thoughts were brought forward, and she felt her muscles tense. A sudden shiver traveled down her spine, her skin was riddled with goosebumps, her breath was still as she shakily inhaled.
The sound of his voice made her heart skip a beat as he announced in a bored tone, “Present; I like video games.”
There were several whispers in the classroom, mostly girls, “I can’t believe he’s in this class!”
“He’s so cute!”
Y/n gulped and resisted the urge to turn, reminding herself that she was still angry with him. They weren’t friends anymore. They hadn’t been for years.
She bit her lip as she silently groaned.
It was going to be a long three years.
Later
Y/n was relieved when the day was finally over. She had managed to avoid Noctis for the first half of the day, hightailing it out of her first class as soon as the bell dismissed them. However, much to her chagrin, she realized that she had Noctis for the majority of her classes, which caused anxiety and frustration in her.
Making friends was at the bottom of her list as she tried to figure out a way to avoid him.
Still, luck was not on her side.
No matter how much she tried to avert him, he managed to just be there. As she was hurrying off the premises in an attempt to get the day over with, she heard her name being called. She turned to see Ignis waving at her, a smooth smile spread across his lips.
She waved back as he beckoned to her. She clicked her tongue, not sure if she wanted to deal with the awkwardness of being around Noctis, who was leaning against the door of the sleek black car, next to a blonde haired boy that was extremely energetic and jumping about animatedly.
Noctis’ eyes were on her. His expression is blank, and void of all emotion. His arms crossed over his chest as she reluctantly made her way towards them.
“Fancy a lift?” Ignis asked.
“Uh–, no, I’ll walk,” Y/n declined, avoiding the urge to take a peek at Noctis, who hastily jumped into the backseat of the car.
“Dude– what are you doing?” the blonde haired boy asked, bewildered at Noctis’ behavior. He shrugged nonchalantly when Noctis refused to answer him, and turned to Y/n, “C’mon, if Iggy is offering a ride, then you should take it! I’m Prompto, by the way! I’m in your History of Eos class!”
“Oh, hi,” y/n smiled, endeared by his jumpy and overly friendly attitude, “I’m Y/n Amicitia– I’m–”
“Gladio’s sister, yeah I know, Noct filled me in on your family,” Prompto smiled.
“Prompto…” Noctis’ voice sounded from the car, it sounded like a warning.
He rolled his eyes as he raised his camera and asked, “May I?”
Y/n dumbfoundedly nodded, but before she could rescind her permission, the photo was snapped and Prompto was thanking her as he jumped into the car and Iggy shut the door behind him.
“What? What just happened?”
“That is Prompto Argentum, His Highness’ best friend; a very lively young fellow,” he answered, “I have been meaning to speak with you.”
Y/n’s heart dropped, “Is Gladio alright?”
“Gladio is in good health, it would take a great deal more to slow your brother down; but if you must know, he’s had his hands full with teaching His Highness advanced strategies and techniques in combat,” he informed, pausing as he lowered his voice, “Gladio would hear nothing of it, but, an idea has crossed my mind regarding your gift.”
“Gift?” y/n asked slowly, carefully. Shooting the lightning felt like a gift, but the other… it made her feel strange, weak, almost.
He pulled out a card from the pocket of his blazer. The handwriting on it was sleek, neat and elegant, “If I recall, you wanted to be the Shield of the King. That role falls on your father, and soon your brother. But, there are other ways to serve, should you be interested. The man that I’m referring you to for additional training is part of the Kingsglaive, and he is one of their best.”
Y/n’s brows furrowed in confusion, the Kingsglaive were an elite group of soldiers that could wield the King’s magic. It was known that they were refugees, most of them from Galahd, “I don’t think–”
“You don’t have to join, however, it’s a way to protect people, is that not why you chose to learn to fight?”
She thought about that for a moment. The Glaives were known to be very proficient in magic, maybe… maybe they could help her. Maybe… maybe she could finally tell someone about her other power.
“Something to ponder,” Ignis repeated, “Are you sure you wouldn’t fancy a lift?”
“I’m fine, really,” Y/n insisted, “I don’t mind the walk.”
“As you will,” he conceded as he made his way to the driver’s side and turned the engine of the car, it’s soft purr barely audible over the sounds of the traffic.
She looked down at the card in her hand, reading the phone number written on the smooth surface. She wasn’t sure what to make of it yet, but suddenly, the idea of being part of the Kingsglaive kindled a new fire inside of her.
Y/n pulled out her phone and quickly dialed the number. She bit her lip as she waited patiently for the person to answer.
“Yeah?” a voice sounded on the other end.
“Nyx Ulric?”
Noctis
He allowed himself a deep exhale of his breath as the car drove off. It felt like a relief, like he was finally able to breathe. The tightness in his chest gradually increased the more he saw her walking the halls of the school, sitting in her desk with her legs crossed.
It had been years since he’d seen her up close, with the exception of random run ins in the training room, even then, she always avoided him. No matter how much he wanted to speak to her, to apologize to her once again, he always found the words die on his lips at her disdain.
Noctis tried not to blame her; he realized his actions were worth such a display of rage with the way he treated her in the end.
Still, he missed her. Horribly.
And today… she was beautiful. She grew up to be lovely. He found a strange feeling gathering around his privates at the thought of her in her skirt, the way it rose up slightly, showing the smoothness of her thighs… the way the clothes hugged her figure.
He resisted the urge to turn, to drink her in once more, knowing that Prompto would ask questions. Questions that he wasn’t sure he was ready to answer. He had been open with the boy since they met, he occasionally mentioned Y/n, but otherwise he kept his friendship with her to himself. It was a sore spot for him. One that he tried for years to nurse, but failed.
Ignis and Gladio tried to help, but Y/n was proud, and stubborn. A quality he both loved and loathed about her.
“She’s really pretty,” Prompto said as he glanced at the digital photo on his camera, “Nice smile.”
Noctis grunted, “I guess so.”
He could feel Ignis’ eyes on him. If there was anyone that knew him better than he knew himself, it was Iggy, “She’s turned out to be a quite remarkable fighter as well.”
“Oh?” Noctis asked with a tone of indifference, but he was intrigued. He knew how much of a fighter Y/n was; she always promised that she would be the one to protect him instead of Gladio.
For all the good that did.
“Dude, really? Cute, and lethal. Such a good combination,” Prompto commented dreamily, “Think Gladio would get mad if–”
“I wouldn’t dream of it, the big guy might end up beating your ass to a bloody pulp,” Noctis quickly said in a dry tone. A sense of possessiveness hit him like a wave at the thought of Prompto asking Y/n out.
“Well, worth a shot,” Prompto resigned, staring at the photo in awe. He started going through the rest of the photos that he took throughout the day.
Noctis turned, his eyes stared at nothing in particular as he pondered the day’s events. It was a nice surprise, to see Y/N again, as awkward as it was.
He hoped that maybe they could mend their once wholesome friendship.
But if he knew anything about Y/N, it was that she would not make it easy.