King of Light

Luna was glad she could make him laugh. It was something she’d never known if she was able to do. She’d never seen how he’d read her letters. But he seemed happy all the same. “We will. Now that we are together, nothing can stop us.” She smiles up at him. 

Her blue eyes glance up into his. Her hand moves up, gently placing her fingers over his as he cupped her face. The sensation nearly gave her the chills. It was so simple, but she loved his touch. The kiss on her forehead earned a slight gasp from her lips. If she didn’t feel good enough already, a kiss almost made her start to cry again. 

“You know I would have waited forever, if I’d had to.” She smiles up at him. Luna too knew that they should be heading back. As much as they were ignoring the world, it was not safe to be out on their own like this. But still, she didn’t want to move. She didn’t want to head back to hammer head. After all, the others would want to see Noctis too, and she was a bit selfish. Luna wanted all of his attention for herself. After all these years, she felt she deserved it. 

“I love you Noctis, very much.” It was something she’d regretted never truly telling him. In those days where she was on the brink of death, she had always wished she’d been allowed to tell him in person. And even if they were promising to stay together, she was not taking any chances. 

Hearing those words he again felt like the air left his body. Hearing them for the first time from her lips was almost too much. He wanted more and more to have the moment last forever. To stay with her like that frozen in time. 

The tears had started to die down but they were back now and he wasn’t sure if he could get them to stop this time. He hugged her once more. He was so thrilled and happy to hear those words that it took him a moment to find his own voice to repeat them too her.

“I love you too, Luna. More than anything.” He pulled back just a bit, again to look at her face, a soft smile on his. Words he didn’t think he’d ever get to hear or say to her. It was great to get them out there. To finally telling her. 

“I see that. You’re quite flustered.” Her grin just widened as he pouted at her. How did she ever get so lucky to have him? She truly didn’t know. 

“Not having second thoughts are you?” She asks, tilting her head to the side a bit. “I didn’t think a joke about us being wed would make you so jumpy…” 

He quickly shook his head, “What? No! Of course not!” He would never have second thoughts. How could he? If anything he was thrilled, though a little nervous. But that had to be understandable. 

“Might not have meant it but really caught me off guard.” He let himself pout as he looked up at her. Though, as his reaction really that warranted? Maybe he overreacted. He really hadn’t expected it at that moment. 

Luna tilted her head up a bit as his moved. She did wish to see his face, even if he was trying to conceal it. She could spend hours just looking him over, making up for lost time she wasn’t allowed to. 

As he spoke, the feeling she’d fought hard to dispel was returning. The feeling of hopelessness for what was to come. She’d spent so many years wallowing in that sadness. It was a pain she didn’t want to return to. She wasn’t going to let it happen. She couldn’t.

“I will find a way.” Luna says quickly. “I will find a way to save you, if I have to yell at the gods themselves.” She says with a slight smile. “They’ll regret ever giving me access to them.” It was her last resort, sure, but Luna really did mean it. If she had to herself be damned, she’d take on all the gods… just so he may live. 

“But whatever is ahead, you cannot dispear Noctis…” She sighed. “I cannot let you fall pray to the scourge. I don’t have enough light left in me to cure the both of us. You must stay positive, ok? We’ll be together… I cannot live any longer without you.” 

Her words brought a smile to his face, a laugh bubbling up from his chest. He knew she would do anything to help him and it was nice to hear. Of course, he didn’t know how it would go, but it was still a nice thought that she was willing to do it. 

He took a deep breath and nodded, finally letting her see his face better. “We’ll both be okay. We’ll figure out what to do to save both of us.” Just like she was willing to do anything for him he was willing to do the same for her. He wanted to get rid of the scourge that plagued her, take away the suffering. She had suffered enough already, she didn’t deserve more. 

The young man was completely blindsided by the question. It was something that needed to be answered, but was right there the perfect time? 

His mouth opened and closed several times as he tried to think of an answer. They were getting married so…? This wasn’t the time! Why was she asking now? 

Luna didn’t mind the embrace, even if it was a bit tight on her frail body. She honestly needed the contact. She always had, it helped her feel like a person within this mess. And to have Noctis of all people holding her? It was all she’d ever wanted. 

She sighed, trying to bring herself back to calm as he spoke. She still felt as if there was so much more she could of done… but he didn’t blame her…

It made her heart melt hearing he’d thought about her so much. It hurt knowing that he thought she was gone, but, that he thought of her at all still meant so much. After all this time… he still wanted her. 

“I as well… the thought of seeing you at last, kept me alive.” Her eyes fell shut, letting her body lean a bit more into him. “You’ve been in my thoughts, and my priority everyday since I was able to stay conscious.” She too could stay here forever, just like this. For once in her life, she felt comfortable, and safe. 

“All these years, since you’ve been asleep, I’ve been trying to find a way to save you. I don’t want to lose you to fate… Not now.” 

He really didn’t want the moment to end. Scared of everything that was going to happen. Scared of again being apart from her. Why couldn’t they just be happy together? 

He lifted his head up a bit, glad she couldn’t really see his face at the moment. “I know...I feel the same way. I wish we had time or a way to keep what’s to happen from happening.” He had been so ready to throw his life away but now he didn’t want to. He just wanted time at least. More time to spend with her and hold her and not have to worry about what he had to do. 

“If there was a way...” He didn’t finish the sentence, too afraid to. He had spent years trying to think of ways and hadn’t and had come to the conclusion that his life had to be given so everything would be right again. He hadn’t been able to think of any way. 

Luna watched him as he seemed to process this information, and it terrified her. The voice in her mind wondered if this was a mistake, if she should have stayed hidden. But her heart was so weak to him, it still wouldn’t have lasted and she knew it. She held her own breath, wondering if he would accept her…

Hearing him speak her name, she nodded her head slightly. The tears were understandable. Her eyes had already started to well up too. 

With his arms around her, Luna felt as if the whole world suddenly didn’t exist. Nothing mattered anymore. This was all she ever wanted. All she had been fighting her whole life for. Just a moment to be with her love. 

Her arms wrapped around his back tightly, bringing him towards herself. Her head buried into his chest as her own tears fell. His words were not lost on her, but there was just so much she felt, so much she needed to say… it was so overwhelming. 

“I’m so sorry…” She managed to get out. “You’ve suffered so much because of me. I couldn’t be there for you, or even tell you I survived… I let you down.” She spoke, though trying to keep herself from sobbing in his arms. “I’ve missed you so much.” 

He was afraid to let her go, scared that he would once again lose her and never be able to have her back. 

He pressed his face into her hair, trying to hold her as tight and close as he could. For so long he had wished and dreams of having her and she was in his arms and he didn’t want to let go. He just wanted to stay like that. Nothing else mattered. 

“No. No, it’s not your fault. None of it is your fault.” He didn’t blame her for any of it. She was just doing her job. She was doing what the astral’s wanted her to do. “You didn’t let me down. Not once.” He didn’t think she had done wrong. She wasn’t at fault for anything. If anything they had just been dealt a terrible hand. 

“I’ve missed you too. Every day after Altissa I dreamt of having you back. You were all I thought about.” And even while he was locked away he thought about her upon his reflection of what he had to do. 

It would bring back the light and everyone would be happy and he would be, he thought, reunited with her in the afterlife. But, what about now? What would happen now? He was still driven to save everyone, but this time, he would be the one leaving her. And he didn’t want to do that. He didn’t want to be away from her now that he had her back. 

Luna couldn’t help but laugh, though mostly to herself. She was dropping many subtle hints, and it really surprised her that he didn’t simply catch onto her game. Luna understood it, Noctis thought she was dead, but still, the fact that he hadn’t questioned her, nearly at all amused her. 

“Noctis still hasn’t caught onto my little game, huh bud?” She says towards Umbra, though obviously meant for Noctis to hear. “Of course I know his name.” Luna smiles, gently shaking her head. She stops walking for a minute, looking back at Noctis again. 

“And I’m sure you know mine as well…. I just. I had to be sure. The only person around who knows my true identity is Prompto, because I cannot let people get their hopes up.” Luna sighed, moving her hands up to her hood, letting the dark cloth fall away from her face. Her blond hair was down, simply laid over her shoulder. slight age, and Illness added to her features. Her blue eyes looked up to his, a shyer smile appearing on her face. 

“After all, a broken, cursed Oracle is not something the public would want to see. But, I am so, so happy to see you well Noctis. Even without me, you’ve grown so much.” 

Noctis was starting to think that the pleasant conversation was going to turn into some trick of Ardyn’s with the way she was acting, growing concerned at her phrasing. What did she mean by little game? 

He tensed up at first, thinking that something horrible was about to happen and was ready to summon his weapon, but he was knocked for a loop when she took off her hood. 

There stood Luna. His Luna. Alive. He didn’t know what to think or do for a moment as he looked at her. 

The scourge, the aging, he didn’t really notice or think anything of any of it. He just saw Luna. Alive and standing in front of him. For a moment he was sure he had lost his breath as his mind reeled, trying to make sense that his beloved was right there in front of him. 

“Luna.” The tears had just formed instantly. He didn’t have any warning of them as they started to fall. He closed the distance between them and hugged her close, finally getting a chance to hold her after so long. Years had gone by. Years he had been denied her presence, her warmth. She was taken from him and he was teased time and time again with thinking he would finally have her. He had lost hope that he would be able to hold her in his arms in this life. But now he could have that. She was real and solid and he could hold her.