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Dark vines climbed upward from the base of the tower, turning the white stone into a tangled mess of black and thorns. The tower had once been beautiful, but now the section of the Tenebrean Royal Palace lay cut off from the rest by a powerful curse that made it near impossible to enter. Luckily for them, Crowe and Nyx didn’t believe in the impossible.
“So this is the place, huh? Charming.” Nyx rolled his shoulders as they looked up at the structure before them.
“Even if it’s not, it’s the most logical place to look first.”
“Yeah. Cliche though isn’t? Keeping a princess in a tower? You’d think they’d have come up with something a little more unique, just to make this fun for us.”
Crowe rolled her eyes, “Not all of us are raging masochists. Let’s go.” She pushed past him and grabbed hold of one of the vines, checking it for strength before beginning to use them to climb.
“Seriously? You don’t want to warp up there?”
“Not all of us can warp, Mr. Prodigy. Besides, it is a cursed tow-”
Nyx clearly hadn’t been listening because Crowe hadn’t managed to finish her warning before he attempted to warp his way up to the window near the top of the tower. His throw would have been impressive - if it hadn’t hit a barrier and bounced off, causing him to fall to the base of the tower in a confused heap.
“Told you!” Crowe shouted down at him, barely suppressing the laughter in her voice. As he huffed and began to climb below her, she focused all of her attention on the vines which seemed to be gaining a mind of their own the farther she got.
“Shit!” She cursed under her breath as climbing became a battle in its own right, vines beginning to slither from her grasp; trying to wrap around her ankles and wrists. She scoffed and lit a flame in her hand, grabbing one of the attacking vines and pulsing magical flame into the offending plant. They don’t burn the way that she expected. The dark tendrils don’t show the charcoal as the flames eat them away, but they do scream - or something like it. The sound is more unsettling than anything. Pushing away all of her thoughts and feelings, Crowe narrowed her focus on the task at hand - getting to the tower window. It was relatively easy to get to with flames in hand, though she was surprised to find the window pane-less. “Either the weather here is great or this tower is drafty as hell,” she mumbled, hoisting herself into the room.
Looking around the tower bedroom, Crowe wasn’t particularly surprised by the opulence. It was definitely modelled in the style of ‘fairytale princess’ complete with a four-poster bed and light gauzy curtains. What did surprise her though, was that the room appeared to be empty. Walking further inside, a strange crystalline structure in the middle of the room caught her eye and she moved to investigate it. “Fuck!” she cursed loudly, drawing Nyx’s attention as his heavy boots hit the floor. “Look,” She glanced over at Nyx with a grim expression and gestured at the crystal. He moved to her side and immediately cursed. There, locked in crystal, is the Princess Lunafreya. Her crystalline form gives no clue as to what happened, but one thing was for sure. They were too late.
“Well, we can’t move this crystal. We’d probably do more damage than good.” Nyx sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
“So what do we do then?” Crowe’s eyes never left Luna’s sleeping face, memorizing her sad, frozen expression.
“You change the past and prevent this outcome.”
A voice called to them and they tensed, looking around for the source. Across the room, two hooded figures had appeared but there were no doors into the tower. “Where the hell did you come from?” Nyx called out, kukris already in hand.
The figures moved closer, raising their hoods so that their faces could be seen. One was male, dark skin and fiery eyes, with a scar across the bridge of his nose. The other, female, was albino with strange markings around her ice blue eyes. They kept the theme with cloaks of black and white respectively.
“We are Messengers,” the woman spoke, voice gentler than her compatriot. “I am Pryna and he is Umbra.” She looked in their direction, but her clouded eyes didn't seem to see them. “Lady Lunafreya must be saved.”
“You must go back and free her from this place. Then you must stop the Empire.”
Crowe looked at Umbra and scoffed. “You want us to go back in time - which is impossible by the way - and then also stop the entire Empire? You must be crazy.”
“You must have faith,” Pryna said. “Believe in yourselves. Believe in Lady Lunafreya.”
“That’s not really a -”
Crowe’s protests were abruptly cut off as magical energy began to swirl around the room like a whirlpool drawing them in as everything around them went dark. Umbra’s voice echoed all around them.
“You will arrive in this place three months prior. Rescue Lady Lunafreya. Stop the Empire. Return to Insomnia only after the date you left it.”
Her stomach lurched like she was falling and then - she opened her eyes to find herself sitting in the window of the tower, with a pair of lovely blue eyes staring at her in surprise from across the room.
“Hi there, Princess,” she heard herself saying, “Fancy get out of here?”
There was a beat, barely a breath, and then “Yes. Please.” Then she was close, so close that Crowe could see all the different shades of blue in her eyes, feel the gossamer of her wings as she moved herself onto her lap… Crowe shook herself back to attention and realized that she was now holding the princess bridal style, with no real plan for getting her down. She glanced around the tower and found that the vines she had originally climbed didn’t exist, but there was a rope and Nyx was holding the other end on the ground. Right yeah, use the rope and carry the princess. Easy peasy.
Not.
She moved to try and grab the rope and immediately slipped. Rather than risk looking stupid though, she held tight to Lunafreya and pushed away from the tower as though jumping was her plan all along. She had about thirty seconds to come up with a plan midair, so what she did was scream, “Nyx!” and hope that hero-boy was faster at rescue plans than she was. Luckily for all of them, he was. Throwing his kukri into the air, he warped up to their height, wrapped his arms around them, and then warped them to the ground. They did not land elegantly, falling in a stumbling heap that left them rolling apart from one another, but they were safely on the ground at least.
Crowe covered her eyes with her arm, softly groaning more from embarrassment than the impact, but the sound was drowned out by laughter that sounded like peals of beautiful bells. Sitting up, Crowe realized that it was Lunafreya who was laughing and that - as she snorted inelegantly - bells were not really an apt descriptor, but the sound was so beautiful to Crowe that it made her blush and … Oh no. No, we are not doing this, she chastised herself. Absolutely not. She got up and offered a hand to the giggling princess. “Are you alright?”
“Yes,” Lunafreya smiled at her as she got to her feet, “Thank you for rescuing me.”
Crowe opened her mouth to reply but Nyx beat her to it. “You’re welcome. I’m Nyx. She’s Crowe. King Noctis sent us to get you out of here.”
Lunafreya’s eyes lit up with recognition and Crowe felt odd about the way that made her stomach twist. “Noctis sent you? I’m relieved. I was worried that Lucis might be caught up with the Empire.”
“Well, they’ve been attacking border settlements and trying to annex land from us. So when he couldn’t get in contact with you, he sent us to find you, worried that Tenebrae was in the same boat. That’s really all we know though.” Nyx shrugged, “We don’t get a lot of information, except what we need to.”
“You’ve done well to find me with so little information, but I’m afraid that I can’t go to Insomnia just yet.” A determined look settled onto Lunafreya’s face as she looked between Nyx and Crowe. “Surely you know that the provinces of Tenebrae are Fae lands,” She fluttered her wings for effect before continuing. “The balance of nature and faith are the most important things here. However, the humans of the Empire give significance to neither. They are a society of science and iron. And while science has its place, their blatant disregard for the resources they consume has led their lands to ruin.”
“Insomnia is full of similar tech,” Crowe mumbles, suddenly feeling guilty.
“Yes, but Lucis has not abandoned the Astrals, nor do they intentionally strip and harm the world that sustains them. Lucis has not built metal monsters for the express purpose of killing. That sin belongs to the Empire alone.”
“So what do you intend to do?” Nyx looked casual but Crowe could tell he was nervous about where this was heading. So was she, but with Umbra’s warning not to return home buzzing in her head, she figured it might be best to go along with Lady Lunafreya’s whims.
“I need to purify the altars across Tenebrae. Reconnect this land to the Astrals. Then we might stand a chance at stopping the wave of decay spreading out from Niflheim.” She looked at both of them with a smile. “It is my hope that you’ll accompany me on this journey.”
“It would be an honour.” Crowe answered quietly, but firmly before looking over at Nyx who simply shrugged.
“It’s our job to protect you, so sure. Let’s purify some altars.”
Lunafreya lit up with a proper smile and Crowe was struck by the thought that she would follow her anywhere.
***
The first altar wasn’t particularly hard to reach, which was the most surprising thing to Crowe. It seemed that Lunafreya had a built-in sixth sense for finding them and it made navigation easier than expected. The altar was built at the center of a lake - a large glass and silver sculptural structure with a gazebo sheltering a stone monument. There was only one problem. There was no bridge to cross.
“Right, so are we swimming then?” Nyx beat Crowe to the question before she could decide how to word it.
Lunafreya laughed in response, “Not at all. You just need to have a little faith.” Without another word, she stepped into the water, no, onto the water. Crowe and Nyx watched in fascination as she glided above the water as though it were solid ground. There was something so majestic about the way Lunafreya carried herself that Crowe forgot that they were meant to follow until Nyx nudged her and walked onto the water himself with a wink. Crowe hesitated for a moment. Despite the fact that she’d seen both of her companions walk without problem, the water was moving and choppy and certainly did not look like something that could be walked upon. She sighed in agitation and steeled herself to walk after them. Before her foot touched the water, a shadow across the surface caught her attention. At first she thought it was just a trick of the light, but then she saw it again - a mass of black moving through the water, bubbling and growing. It reeked of danger and before she knew it, Crowe was running, following the path across the water desperate to get to Lunafreya before whatever that was did. She wouldn’t make it. But Nyx would. “Nyx! Enemy inbound!”
Nyx moved without hesitation, warping ahead to Lunafreya and then warping the two of them up to the altar. With Luna safe, he turned to attack the creature, but his warp passed right through it and he had to quickly warp back to dry land before he fell into the lake. Seeing this, Crowe ran forward and reached for the creature’s face, letting off a burst of ice magic as she did. She held it as it froze and shouted out to Nyx, “Now!” He warped back to the creature, this time hitting it solidly. A crack echoed out as he kicked off of it and the entity crumbled into broken shards. As it fell, the water in the lake began to glow and the pair of glaives looked up and saw Lunafreya praying at the altar. When the light faded Lunafreya turned and smiled at them.
“That’s one altar down!”
***
The other altar’s were dealt with in similar fashion. Each had some form of personification of corruption to deal with before Lunafreya could purify the altar. With each purification, Luna grew more angry about the Empire’s disregard for their effect on nature. Finally, only one altar remained - Bahamut’s - though this was the one Crowe was most nervous for. The altar was for light and faith and if there was one thing lacking in Niflheim, it was faith in the Astrals. Surprisingly, this altar was the most unassuming; just a simple stone monument in the forest, surrounded by a half ring of sylleblossoms.
Each step closer to the altar brought more tension to Crowe’s shoulders. There must be an enemy here too, and yet, nothing attacked. Lunafreya was able to pray at the altar unimpeded. Crowe was just beginning to relax when Lunafreya seemed to flicker, as though she was about to fade away from existence. Panic jumped into Crowe’s throat and she ran forward, grabbing onto Luna’s arm, just as everything blinked away. She heard Nyx shouting from far away, but when she opened her eyes she was floating, still holding tightly to Lunafreya. Before her was Bahamut. She forgot how to breathe for a moment as she realized that the pair of them were smaller than the Astral’s palm.
“You have done well.” Bahamut’s booming voice. “But purifying the altars was only the first step. The Empire must be stopped. You already have what you need to do so.”
Crowe was still trying to comprehend what she’d seen when they were just as suddenly back at the altar as though nothing had happened.
“What the hell?” Nyx shouted, and when Crowe turned to look at him, he looked more nervous than she’d ever seen him. “You just disappeared for a couple of minutes!”
Crowe smiled at him weakly, “We saw Bahamut.”
Nyx stared for a moment. “What the fuck.”
“We should rest here for the night,” Lunafreya interrupted. “Tomorrow, we head for Niflheim.”
Nyx gave Crowe a look but she merely nodded. “Right, guess we’ll set up camp.”
It was late and the fire was burning low. Crowe nudged it with a stick and added some more kindling. She offered to take first watch, but as the night wore on she was beginning to wonder if it was even necessary. Glancing over to where Lunafreya was sleeping, she wondered if the Princess really could stop the entire Empire. Luna’s wings fluttered as she watched and Crowe realized that she’d never given much thought to the power of the fae outside of her closeness with the Astrals. With a heavy sigh, Lunafreya sat up and looked around for Crowe, who was immediately embarrassed to be caught staring. “Uh, is everything alright, Princess?”
Lunafreya walked over to join Crowe by the fire, sitting much closer than she expected her to. “I find myself struggling to sleep. Dealing with the Empire will not be easy. I can only hope that they’ll be receptive to listening.”
“What will you do if they aren’t?”
“I’m…” Lunafreya hesitated and then sighed. “I really don’t know. There’s only so many things that I can do.”
“I’m sorry,” Crow murmured, “It must be stressful.”
Lunafreya smiled at her, “It’s my duty so I’ll succeed no matter the cost.”
Silence settled over them and Crowe took the time to study Luna’s face now that she was so close. The woman was so beautiful, but now that they’d spent so much time travelling together, Crowe had a whole new appreciation for the determination and loyalty that she’d come to see within Lunafreya. It was a strength that came from conviction and kindness. And one that Crowe could never hope to emulate.
“Have I got dirt on my face?” Lunafreya asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.
Blushing Crowe stumbled over her response, “Ah no, you’re perfect! I mean- ah… It’s just, you’re beautiful.”
A light tinge of pink graced Lunafreya’s cheeks, “Thank you. Though I tease, I’ve seen you staring at me quite often.”
Crowe groaned softly, “I’m sorry.”
“I don’t mind.”
“No? You should know, it’s not just that you’re beautiful. You’re strong, capable. You hold yourself with grace even in the face of danger and you’re kind even in your anger. You’re truly a remarkable woman.”
Luna’s eyes widened in surprise. “I didn’t know anyone thought that of me. If I’m honest, I feel like I’m out of my depth more often than not. I try to follow the duties laid before me so carefully because without them, I’d be at a complete loss as to what to do.”
“I don’t think it’s always so simple, when others tell you it’s your job to do something so massive alone. You don’t need to face the whole Empire by yourself. It’s not that you don’t know how to make your own decisions, it’s just an impossible ask.”
“Somehow I believe that we’ll do the impossible though.”
“Yeah. Together. Don’t forget we’re in this with you.”
Lunafreya smiled and laid her head on Crowe’s shoulder. “I’m truly glad that you’ve come with me.”
Crowe risked it and wrapped her arm around Lunafreya’s shoulders. When she didn’t pull away, Crowe rested her head against Luna’s. “You’re not alone.”
Nyx found them asleep like that when he woke up for his watch a few hours later.
***
Gralea was more imposing than Crowe had anticipated. Sprawling structures of iron and steel covering every inch of land and rising into the sky ominously. There wasn’t a speck of greenery to be found. It was intimidating, imposing, and… sad, in a way that Insomnia was not. The Crown city was always full of life, but Gralea felt cold and distant even with throngs of people going through their day to day lives. It was obvious that it disturbed Lunafreya as well and Crowe reached out to quickly squeeze her hand for comfort. The soft smile that she got in return was worth the possibility of Nyx catching on and teasing her.
“I think that we should try speaking with Emperor Aldercapt first. Which means our first destination will be Zegnautus Keep.” Lunafreya gestured in the direction of a large building and the three began in that direction.
“Been here before, Princess?” Nyx asked casually, as he kept an eye on the crowd.
“Once, with my brother on diplomatic business. There’s even less nature now than there was then.”
Crowe could hardly imagine it. Couldn’t even dream of living in a place like this. No wonder the Empire was desperate for Lucian land.
Zegnautus Keep was ominous and unfriendly. Its only similarity with the Citadel in Insomnia was the several sets of stairs leading up to the entrance, with long landings between each. As luck (or fate) would have it, they arrived just in time to see Emperor Aldercapt walking up the stairs with a small contingent of MTs. Lunafreya rushed ahead, shouting out at the Emperor.
“Emperor Aldercapt, I must speak with you!”
He and his guards stopped and turned to face her. The surprise on his face was evident even from a distance. “Lady Lunafreya. Whatever brings the Fae Princess of Tenebrae here?”
“You are destroying Niflheim! You think you can solve your problems with metal men and war machines, but your defiance of the Gods will be your downfall.”
Aldercapt laughed and his MTs moved between himself and Lunafreya. Luna scoffed and pushed their guns out her way and continued to address him.
“There’s still a chance that you can save these lands. You just need to regain your faith and trust in nature.”
“Nature? My dear girl, Nature didn’t build all of this. Science did.”
“And your science will leave all of your people to starve because you use it for death instead of life!”
“What do you know of our science? You storm in here and think you can tell me what to do?”
“I know that nature is stronger than all of this. And I can prove it!” Lunafryea took a step back and light swirled all around her. She touched a hand to the metal landing and it erupted into greenery - plant life abound including fruit bushes and an apple tree. “Faith in the Gods can restore your lands, but you need to -” Lunafreya’s pleas were interrupted as Aldercapt shouted “Seize her!” and the MTs swarmed around her, blocking her from view. Crowe and Nyx bolted up the stairs to get to her, but more MTs appeared behind them and they were quickly overrun and outnumbered. The last thing Crowe remembered was a glimpse of white entering the keep before an MT knocked her out.
***
“Crowe, are you sure this is a good idea? Storming a public address is dangerous and foolish.”
“They have Luna. It’s our best shot at getting her back.”
“And people say I’m reckless. Alright, I’ll agree with you there, if she’s at the address. If she’s not, we’re going to have a hell of a time finding where she’s being kept.”
“You’re coming with me?”
“What, you think I’d let you do this alone? We’re both responsible for her safety. Also, this sounds like fun.”
“Masochist.” Crowe laughed under her breath. “Right. Let’s do this then.”
They melded into the crowd, letting it pull them along into the venue for the Emperor’s great unveiling. Throngs of people filled the space between the stage that had been erected overnight. Large drapes kept it from view but Crowe and Nyx knew that beyond them was the landing that Luna had turned into a garden. After having seen the state of the Empire’s lands, it was no wonder that this unveiling was set to secure the Emperor in his seat of power. Waiting for the address to start was the hardest part for Crowe. She was anxious to find Lunafreya, to see her safe again, to hold her… She shook her head. What was she thinking? That night at Bahamut’s altar was a one off. Even so, she harboured feelings from it that would likely remain for some time. As long as she could use them to save Luna then nothing else mattered. She’d deal with the fallout later.
A horn sounded, ugly and grating, followed by a trumpeting of the few notes that constituted the beginning of a royal address. The crowd fell into a silence abuzz with anticipation. All Crowe could feel was tension. Nyx nudged her playfully, trying to lighten her mood but she just glared at him and adjusted her focus to where she could see a legion of MTs walking down the steps with Emperor Aldercapt in tow. Nyx sighed gently and shifted his focus into work mode. He took things seriously when necessary, even if he had a bad habit of showing off or playing around. Aldercapt was now at center stage and had begun speaking, but Crowe wasn’t paying attention. She was looking for Luna, anxiety rising with each passing moment with no trace. And then the Emperor was claiming that he’d found the solution to their problems; that he alone could save them from the woe claiming their lands. The drapery fell. The garden revealed. The crowd became a sea of gasps and motion and excitement. Crowe’s focus tunneled and narrowed. In the garden, steps behind Aldercapt and surrounded by MTs was Luna.
Crowe began moving through the crowd without a plan or a single thought that wasn’t Luna, Luna, Luna. Nyx called out to her and she could feel him trying to catch up, but all that mattered was getting to that garden. She was nearly at the stage when suddenly there was a loud snapping sound and all the colour around her changed and dulled, as though she were suddenly looking through a frosted window. The people around her stopped moving, frozen mid-action as though time itself had suddenly stopped. Then they melted away and Crow found herself standing in nothingness for a moment, a single breath of fear. She blinked and suddenly she was in a room - the tower room in Tenebrae - with Umbra and Pryna standing before her.
“What? How? I was about to save Luna!” Crowe’s confusion quickly turned to anger as she thought of Luna being trapped with Aldercapt.
“You have done well,” Pryna said, “but the upcoming outcome cannot be changed nor stopped.”
“What? What is that supposed to mean?”
“We cannot describe what is to come to those who will live it.”
“Take this.” Umbra held a hand out, a diamond nestled in his palm. “It is known as the Oracle’s Wish. The magic contained here has the power to save a single life. Just one.”
“What? Why would I need something like this?” Crowe was getting really tired of being spoken to in riddles, but she took the diamond anyway.
“You will know when it is time.”
She was about to roll her eyes when the ground lurched and a blink brought her back to the garden in Niflheim. Somehow now she was in the garden behind the stage, off to the side where she could see both Luna and Aldercapt on the stage before her. The Emperor had his hand on Luna’s shoulder and was talking about how she was the key.
“It isn’t me that you should be placing your faith into!” Lunafreya was suddenly shouting. From her vantage point, Crowe could see the darkening of Aldercapt’s face. Lunafreya pushed away from his grasp and continued to speak to the crowd. “Your dying lands are a result of your own hubris and your abandonment of the Gods. They won’t tolerate your continued disrespect of nature. But you can fix this! You just need to-!”
Luna’s pleas were cut off by the sound of a sudden bang. Everything went into slow motion. Crowe’s brain registered Aldercapt’s hiss of “stop her!” just a moment too late, but now it was like she was staring at the scene with a wide lens. Bright red was blooming on Luna’s white dress. Smoke was drifting lazily skyward from one of the MTs guns.
No.
No, no, no, no, no!
Time went back to normal speed with a cacophony of sound. The garden all around her blackened, withered, and died. There were screams of horror from the crowd, which quickly turned to rage at the sight of the dead garden. Aldercapt was shouting that he hadn’t meant “kill her”, but the angry crowd had become a mob, rushing and dismantling the MTs to carry off their screaming Emperor. Crowe didn’t care what became of Niflheim now. They had heard what Luna had wanted them to hear. What they did with that knowledge was on them. Her only focus was Luna and how she had failed her. Her fists tightened in rage and she hissed in sudden pain. Looking at her palm in confusion, she found the diamond, the “Oracles’ wish” digging into her skin and remembered. Praying to the Astrals that it would work as advertised, she ran to Lunafeya and fell to her knees by her side.
Hands shaking as she pulled Luna into her arms, Crowe couldn’t help the overwhelming feeling of shame and guilt that flooded through her. She’d promised to keep Lunafreya safe, but she’d failed. She could only hope that this diamond had the power she was promised and could save the princesses life. Holding tightly to Luna, she pressed the diamond to her chest, buried her face in Luna’s hair and prayed.
Please. Please let this work. She deserves to live. She’s better than all of us.
The diamond grew warm under her fingers and she felt it melt into Lunafreya’s skin. Crowe never stopped praying, even when she felt Luna move, felt her whisper her name, she kept praying for this reality. Luna shifted in her arms, twisting and hugging Crowe tightly.
“You’re alive,” Crowe didn’t mean for her voice to sound so broken, but she couldn’t help it. Couldn’t stop the tears that had broken free. “I thought I’d lost you.”
Luna shook her head. “Pryna told me that you would save me. I was never worried.”
“Pryna… Of course.” Crowe almost laughed. The stress and absurdity of it all was finally getting to her.
“Not to interrupt, but we really need to get out of here.” Crowe blinked and looked up to see that Nyx had finally gotten free of the crowd and reached them. “I think it’s about time we head back to Insomnia. We’ll be better equipped to handle Niflheim’s revolution from there.”
***
In the weeks that followed their escape, Niflheim’s reconstruction became the priority of all the other nations. The war machine projects were scrapped in favour of restoration. Lunafreya remained in Insomnia, a blessing for Crowe who remained at the Princess’s side at her request. Time passed quickly with all of the work that had to be done and the end of the year had snuck up on them all.
Snow fell softly from the dark sky, illuminated by the golden light spilling onto the balcony from the New Year’s Eve ball. Crowe leaned against the railing, staring out at the dark garden below. A soft hand touched her shoulder and she turned to face the person who had joined her. “Princess.”
Lunafreya smiled softly and shook her head. “Come now, you needn’t be so formal when it’s just the two of us.”
“Luna,” Crowe breathed out softly, cheeks burning brightly as Lunafreya’s grin widened. She moved closer, leaning into Crowe and smiling up at her with a slight questioning quirk to her eyebrows. Still blushing, Crowe indulged her and lowered her head, leaning in for a kiss. Their lips barely touched for a moment, whispers of breath between them. Lunafreya closed the space between them and everything but the feeling of Luna in her arms and against her lips left Crowe’s mind.
It had been a long journey to get here, but Crowe wouldn’t have it any other way. She welcomed the new year with optimism for what’s to come.