Where There Is Love, There Is Pain (2013)

[Claire Gallows]

Ubi Amor, Ibi Dolor (Where There is Love, There is Pain)

January 30th, 2013

Three Weeks Before I Arrived In Rhy’Din

Lucis

“I’m so very excited that we’re doing this together. I had to beg and plead to get you out of your duties just so we could have a day for girl time. But it’ll be worth it, I promise. I set up appointments at only the best shops that way we can find you the perfect dress.” Stella’s chipper chatter filled the car. I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, fidgeting fingers tugging at the zipper of my coat. Why she thought it was a good idea to go wedding dress shopping in the middle of a blizzard was beyond me. But, it seemed Stella was at least trying to be my friend and help me plan the grand affair expected from one marrying the Prince of Lucis. I still found it so weird that she had such a change of heart, going from the volatile princess, full of scorn and hatred toward me…becoming this sweet girl, all too keen on becoming my right hand woman of sorts.

I should have known better.

I should have known.

Stella’s arms pulled me into a side hug, pulling me from my quiet reverie and drawing a nervous and awkward chuckle from my lips.

“I’m excited for you and Noctis, Light, really I am. I can’t wait until your big day; you’re going to make a beautiful bride!” She beamed at me, her light blue eyes twinkling with what seemed to be genuine mirth as she let me go. My lips twitched and slowly a smile blossomed. Here I was…heading out to go wedding dress shopping. The thought of it all soon had me beaming as well. I had always believed that my life was but a comedy of errors that would end tragically…but meeting Noctis made me think otherwise. I knew that I was beneath his station; a mere knight in the midst of a prince. I had no idea how many times I had asked the Goddess if I had the right to accept the happiness that he offered. When this began, we both had no idea what would come when we finally fulfilled the mission given by the Goddess Etro, but we had always hoped the end would be a new start that we could embark on together.

And so we were.

A tentative peace agreement had been struck between Lucis and Tenebrae, even without the attempted arranged marriage between Noctis and Stella. Things were finally calming down and looking up, and now we had a wedding to plan. Stella knew of how few female friends I had in Lucis…and she knew of my inability to reach Serah or anyone I had known on Pulse. And she had stepped up, offering to stand in as my maid of honor, in Serah’s absence. Granted, she could never compare to actually having my sister there, but it would have to do. I knew nothing about planning or parties or dresses, and Stella was there for it all. As the Princess of Tenebrae, she knew what was expected of a royal wedding, which I knew nothing of. Perhaps with her help, I could muddle through this dog and pony show in my quest for Happily Ever After.

I was grateful for her.

That was something I never thought would happen. Not after her attempts at undermining me, with Noctis, with the king, with the men I trained. She had done her damnedest to turn Noct’s father against me. It was bad enough that he had disliked me ever since I arrived. My cause was worsened the time I had pinned her against a wall with her arm twisted behind her back, threatening her well-being for thinking she could impose herself upon the Prince. Stella had run off to King Regis, tattling like a five year old on the playground, and it had worked. He had put me on strict orders to stay away from Noctis, leaving me only my training and commanding duties for the troops. Despite all of that…Noct and I had found our way back to each other, and though it had taken months, slowly I had found favor with the King. I finally came into the King’s good graces upon the battlefield. Who would have thought?

But that is a whole other story, in and of itself.

Back to the subject at hand.

“Stella…thank you so much for doing this for me. I really can’t thank you enough for all that you’ve done.” I said sheepishly, my hand rubbing at the back of my neck. The car came to a stop, it seemed the trip had gone quite quickly even with the inclement weather. Outside, sleet and snow pelted the car’s heavily tinted windows, drawing a sideways glance before I looked back to the blonde woman beside me. She bounced in her seat as she unbuckled her seatbelt, shoulders rising and falling in a slow shrug but beaming at me until her eyes crinkled at the corners. Her arms opened and she went to pull me into a hug again. This time I went more willingly, hoping to maybe show her that I truly was grateful for what she was doing for me.

“You needn’t thank me, Claire.” Her use of my given name caught me off guard but the tight hug didn’t give me much of an opportunity to hesitate, so I simply chuckled quietly, slowly attempting to ease myself out of the embrace before the driver had the chance to get around to my door to let me out of the car. I was a bit slow and behind me the door opened. “Really, you shouldn’t thank me…” Stella’s sibilant purr spoke beside my ear just before a hard grip took ahold of the back of my hair, dragging me backwards from the car and out into the snow.

I didn’t even have time to call out, my fingers clutching at Stella, trying to get some sort of a hold to get myself away from whomever it was yanking me from the vehicle. Stella exited from the other side of the car but with the wind whipping wet flakes around, I couldn’t even see her. My assailant pulled me upwards, dragging me backwards still as I tried to keep my feet on solid ground, finding only ice and slush underfoot and no way to steady myself.

“I told you so.” Stella’s sing-songed words drifted through the harsh winter air, tingling in my ears while I tried to free myself from whoever it was with their fingers tangled in the back of my hair, one arm around me and across my sternum, pulling me. Where were we going? My fingers clawed at flesh to no avail. I felt my anger rise as much as my confusion. This was a nightmare, certainly. This wasn’t happening. I struggled more, kicking and clawing, anything to get out. Stella approached me, an eerily serene smile across her lips. She didn’t seem to notice the freezing chill that was quickly working its way into my bones, or maybe her smile was the thing inducing the cold. The wind picked up, whipping golden strands around her face, pale tendrils curling and writhing as she neared me.

“I told you long ago that I would get my way. Lucis will fall and with it, Noctis’s great protector shall fall as well.” Her icy fingers came out to stroke gently against my wind bitten cheek before drawing her hand back and slapping hard across my face. I lashed out, doubling my efforts to not only free myself but also to turn my anger toward this woman. I called her my friend. I went against my gut instinct and now I was paying for it. She must have paid the damn Hulk to hold me in place because no matter what I did, I couldn’t get an inch of give.

“Poor Lightning. It really is a shame; we could have been friends had you simply stepped aside and allowed me to do as I pleased. Now we have to do this the hard way. Please know that as satisfying as it will be to get rid of you in such a manner, I take no pleasure in losing such a valuable asset.” She stepped in close, her tone level and even as she spoke. Why my words were failing me was beyond me and all I managed was a feral snarl at her. A soft sigh escaped her lips and she rolled her eyes at me, clenching a hand into a fist, cocking it back then slamming it hard against my diaphragm. The air in my lungs left me abruptly and I choked out a coughing breath, my body attempting to double over. The arm across my chest kept me from doing so and the first punch was followed by a second and then a third and a fourth and a fifth. I lost count somewhere in there, amazed and shocked that such a delicate looking woman could pack such a hit. The rain of fists soon found its way to my face and soon taste of blood filled my mouth. With a ragged breath, I spat it at her, red mist spattering across her pale features and pristine white coat. Furious eyes blinked at me as she drew the back of her hand across a smattering of my blood, smearing it against her skin. Shucking off her coat, she shoves the bloodied material at the driver before turning a burning look back to me and my captor.

“Get rid of her, Vance. Do it as we planned. Don’t take any chances with it, either. She has to be alive until she makes it through.” She hissed at the man before stalking back around the car, disappearing into the swirling whirlwind of snow and sleet before getting in on the opposite side and yanking the car door shut behind her. I was so dumbfounded at everything that was happening that I barely even felt the pinprick against my throat. It hadn’t even registered until my head started swimming and I felt the world swaying even as I was held tightly in place.

“Son of a…” I mumbled, trying to focus my attention. I had to get out of this; I had to make it back to Noctis. My fingernails found purchase in bare flesh and I tore and ripped, an almost primal ferocity behind my fighting. It was desperation. Unadulterated desperation for survival. The brute, now known as Vance, snarled a gruff swear before lifting me up off the ground with one hand. My legs kicked, flailing out in hopes of finding a target. To no avail. I screamed and I growled, the sounds dying in the howling blizzard. Fingers yanked back on my hair and a thick, calloused hand closed on my throat, effectively stifling my screams. The taste of blood was heavy in my mouth and with a pass of my tongue over my teeth I could feel at least one or two jagged edges from where they had chipped under the impact of Stella’s blows. I was quickly distracted from the damage done to my mouth when I felt the sharp burn between my ribs.

My head was getting foggier by the moment but the stiletto switchblade that had been jammed into my flesh definitely was enough to draw my attention. It was hot and despite the arctic air around me, I was burning up. Each movement sluggish, I pawed at the wound in my side as he drew out the blood covered blade and drove it in again, a garbled groan passing my lips at the intrusion of steel into my lower back. Vance had me back on my feet but I may as well have been standing on water for as solid as the ground felt underneath me and when he shoved me away, I faltered, stumbling and falling to my knees. My trip to the ground was further assisted when Vance’s snow covered boot connected with my ribs with a sickening crunch, right about where he had driven that switchblade between my ribs and I cried out before collapsing in a heap of blood and slush. It was getting dark but I fought, oh how I fought.

“Serah…Noctis…” I whispered longingly, hands curling into the snow. My body heat melted the flakes at first, but as my temperature dropped and my internal workings fought to try to heal the various wounds that had been inflicted, soon I found my fingers as cold as the slush, sinking in to mingle with flakes and globs alike while melting or affecting them naught.

Quivering, I closed my eyes, feeling a warm tear slide down my cheek; a sweet relief compared to the cold air around me. Keeping my eyes closed, I tried to block out the colors swarming my vision, the burn of the icy air on my skin, and the feeling of fire flaring in my side and back. I did everything I could to try and forget the pain, to forget the reality as my consciousness started to fade. Vance lifted my crumpled form from the snow, yanking me up by my arm, twisting it painfully in the process. The popping sounds I heard probably should have hurt, but at this point, not a whole lot was registering. He went back to dragging me again, since at this point I was essentially dead weight in his arms.

My thoughts were pleasantly drifting even as Vance grumbled and growled. He seemed to be fumbling with something and soon a bright blue light shone against my closed eyelids. It was strangely familiar, like it was calling me home. I felt Vance trying to steady me on my feet but my legs were jelly and I had to lean against his bulky form to keep myself upright.

“Damn it, bitch, stand up on your own and go out with dignity.” He growled in my ear and for a moment I managed to open one eye groggily to try to see what was going on. The Time Gate in front of me glowed with a warm luminescence that was oddly comforting. Its warmth gave me a moment of strength and I stood, albeit unsteadily. Swaying on my feet, for a second I thought the next stiff arctic breeze was going to topple me. Vance must have thought the same thing because he gave me a hard shove forward toward the gate, eliciting an annoyed grunt of pain to spill past my lips. I stumbled again and almost dropped down into the snow once more before the azure pull of the gate drew me in. My knees buckled, feeling as if a thousand tons of lead were crushing me to the ground. Falling into the light, once I was caught in its embrace my body went limp and I let go of Lucis. Despite my trauma and my barely conscious state of mind, questions buzzed in my head.

How?

How could this happen?

Why did this happen?

What happened?

What will happen next?

Before I blacked out, all I could remember was pain, mind-numbing pain.

There is always an end. It's something we are constantly aware of whether we admit to it or not. Humanity's most destructive vice is ignorance; it blinds us, shadows us in denial, leads us from our chosen paths and consumes us with a false sense of greater importance. We are raised to believe that being unique can ultimately lead to great things, but the truth is that all it leads to is death... A vicious price to pay for something never asked for.

[Claire Gallows]

Noct:

January 30th, 2013

The Day It All Went Away

Lucis

“We're getting reports near Vallis Acerba, a possible breach. They're working on containment but what are your orders?” Gladiolus's words came through the phone, prompting a heavy sigh. It would figure. The day Claire is off, we would have an issue like this. I wasn't going to bother her. After all, it had taken quite a bit of work to free her up just so she could go wedding dress shopping with Stella this afternoon. My hand came up to brush against the outline of the blue crystal that rested beneath my shirt against my sternum. Our promise to each other. One of commitment and devotion, and for the first time in what might have been my entire life, I was legitimately happy.

Over the past two and a half years, we had gone from hating each other, to being able to tolerate each other, to slowly falling in love, and now, we were set to be married. I found myself drifting into thoughts of her departure this morning, the long embrace we had shared before she nervously left with Stella. Even though she is one of the strongest girls I have ever known, I just couldn't help but treat her with the utmost care, as if she is some breakable doll, every time I touch her paper-thin looking skin. She had given me an anxious smile, but a smile all the same. She doesn't smile often, but when she does, the brightness could rival the sun. I'd be lying if I didn't say I loved that.

“Yo Noct, you still there?” Came Glad's voice again, ripping me from my reverie. I was glad I was alone at the moment or else I might have looked rather foolish with the redness that was swelling in the crests of my cheeks.

“Yeah, Glad, I'm here. Lightning's off today, I'll take it. Where are you guys at?” I murmured back, rising from my seat in the throne room, glancing toward the floor to ceiling windows and cringing at the winter storm raging outside. The vast room was veiled in quiet, quite the contrast against the howling wind that pounded the walls from outside.

“We'll be there to get you in five. Be ready.” With a roll of my eyes, I clicked the phone shut and stuffed it in my pocket. My fingers hooked the material of my coat and with a turn on my heels, I headed for the front door. Sliding my arms through, I worked on the buttons as one of the household staff got the door for me. I nodded my gratitude and slipped out into the raging winter afternoon. The car pulled up shortly after and I didn't bother waiting for the usual attempt at opening the door for me before I got in. Slamming the door shut behind me, the growl of the storm was muted to a dull roar. Progress was slow going, even with the experience of Gladiolus behind the wheel.

“You aren't going to want to hear this, but it sounds like possible Niflheim forces...though there are battle markers that make me think Tenebrae. I...I know, before you say anything. I've no intentions of telling your father. It would only serve to exacerbate things and against Niflheim, we'll need Tenebrae's help if we ever hope to hold onto the last crystal. Accordo's already fallen...” Gladiolus sounded thoroughly flustered by this, his words coming quickly as I buckled myself in. We neared Vallis Acerba, the harsh valley of the city and exiting the car, it seemed like the place was deserted.

“Glad, are you sure that--” We were blindsided by an explosion that blew me off my feet and sent Gladiolus's solid form against the side of the car, fiberglass and plastic denting inwards from the impact. The windows shattered, sparkling glass scattering across freshly fallen snow and I quickly scrambled back to my feet, ducking low and sweeping the area visually as I looked for the cause of the explosion. I hurried around the side of the car to check on Glad, the closest relationship I had to a best friend other than Claire. The force of the explosion had knocked him out cold and I growled, shaking my head and making an attempt to jolt him awake. He didn't budge so I did what I could to lug his hulking form back into the car. I couldn't leave him out in the cold by himself but I had no choice but to proceed alone.

I took off in the direction of the explosion, sword in one hand and pistol in the other. Dual wielding at its finest, really. Times like these, I was grateful that I was ambidextrous. From my left, a soldier tried to swing at me with his weapon and with a pivot and shift of my stance, the blade found purchase in a weak point in his armor and I sunk it through his body. A surprised gurgle was followed by red tinted foam from his mouth and my blazing gaze looked into the young man's eyes as the light left them. He couldn't have been more than eighteen or nineteen but though it was unfortunate, I couldn't afford to show any mercy. Not today. There was too much at stake. I withdrew the sword from the man's lifeless body and he fell away into the snow, sprawled out with his open eyes staring up at the sky. Crimson spread out from underneath him, dyeing the snow and slush like some sort of bloody snow angel.

This process was repeated over and over; spin, stab, turn, shoot, twist, kill, progress. Always moving forward as I sought out the ones backing the intrusion into my kingdom. The urgency that drove my every action was immeasurable, feeling like there was more hanging on this battle than ones previous. This kingdom was mine, and I would be damned if anyone was going to ruin it. The insurrection would be quashed even if I had to cut down every last soldier myself.

“We have to wait. We have to wait until just the right moment or it won't work.” The words were carried on the wind and to my ears, wicked little things swirling against my eardrums as I spun to try to find the source.

“I just got word from Vance. Time to go. On three. One. Two. Thr--” All I heard was a loud CRACK! Pain splintered out across the back of my head. My vision faded and went black as I dropped to my knees. The cold of the snow penetrated my clothing, soaking into my flesh and freezing me to the core.

“You think that did it? A knock on the head like that is convincing right? Right? Ooo, she'll kill us if we botch this. Let's go, before someone comes looking for him.” I couldn't recognize the voice. Slumping forward into the snow, unconsciousness took me away and nothing in the world mattered. It felt like my thoughts were falling right out of my head and in my unconscious state, I could do nothing to stop them. It was like there was something missing. But what?

[Claire Gallows]

February 13th, 2013

One Week Before I Arrived In Rhy'Din

The Void Beyond

Next time you look into a mirror, peer closely at the edge. Do you see the ghostly shimmering? That is the world of dreams, known to some as the Mirror World. It is an eternal place of wishes fulfilled and happy memories made real—yet the ghosts who inhabit it know not they are prisoners of eternity.
—Laplacian Board

“Lightning...”

“Lightning.”

“Claire!”

“Claire come back to me!”

A jolt of energy coursed through my body, ripping me from the gently drifting darkness I so gratefully occupied at the moment. Odin sounded so...tired. I didn't understand why. I wasn't quite sure where I was or why I was here, but Odin wasn't about to let me drift aimlessly. Was it the Crux? It didn't look like the Historia Crux. No...this place was different. Full of long and dark shadows, it seemed nothing was quite real. As if I were lingering in someone's dream world. Things would shift and change, reflecting my mind more and more each time my body tried to give out on me. Odin couldn't keep up with the extent of my injuries and with the way time twisted and turned here, there was no real way to gauge how long I had been here, drifting in and out of consciousness. Groggily, I opened my eyes to once again find myself in that shadowy dream world, utterly confused and horribly aching. Each shift and minuscule movement prompted white hot bolts of pain to course through my body but eventually I rolled myself over onto my stomach and pushed myself up into a kneeling position.

“Odin...what happened...” I felt like I had asked him this before. Little did I know, I had. Not just once but many times. Each time I regained consciousness in fact. Ever so slowly, I hauled myself to my feet with a soft groan and a hiss of pain. I kneaded my forehead with the heel of my hand, trying to dissolve some of the aching the reverberated through my skull like a room full of drums.

“You were hurt, Lightning. I fear they've tampered with your mind in the process as well as your body. Tell me, my child, what do you remember of recent events.” Odin's voice seemed strained, weak and tired. It made me wonder just how much I might be missing right now. The heel of my hand moved down to press over my right eye, hoping to further relieve some of the pressure while I thought.

“I uh...well...there was me...and Serah...and the rest of them. In Valhalla. And we were fighting...and...I thought that we...did we not get it done? I mean...I thought we did. Oh gods, is Serah okay? Odin...please tell me...” I rambled desperately, my head aching as I fought to try to remember. Damn it, Claire, think. THINK!

“It may be worse than I feared...Claire...what else do you remember. What do you know of your time in Lucis?” The voice in my head urged me to think but I felt like I was wandering through a thick fog. My back ached and I idly wondered why it felt like I had been stabbed repeatedly. Maybe I was just dehydrated and that's why my kidneys were screaming in pain. Lucis though. That rang no bells and my brows knitted together in confusion.

“I'm...I'm not sure what you're talking about...” My internal dialogue took up far too much attention and I hadn't even realized the giant creature that had quietly stalked up behind me, drawn to the sounds made by one as weak and injured as myself. An easy target, something I had always sworn I would never be. The thing chuffed a breath, hot and heavy on the back of my neck and as I whirled around to face it, a massive side-swept hand took me off of my feet, my ribs skewered by burning hot talons. It was something of nightmares, distorted and twisted, two headed and bound in runes and wards while managing to be disgustingly terrifying. I went skidding across the ground, my weakened frame curling defensively inward.

“Get up, Lightning. You have to get up. Lightning, get up and run!” Odin implored me, pushing me to keep fighting. I groaned but I rolled and pushed myself to my feet as quickly as I could. The chill that had worked its way into my bones made it difficult to move and the sluggishness was slowing me down more than the open wounds in my torso were. I had to move faster. It was like there were burning embers underneath my sternum but it fueled the flame that I needed to carry on and I managed to dive out of the way just as a crimson fire ball obliterated the spot at which I had just stood.

“What the hell is this thing, Odin?!” I cried both mentally and out loud. Summoning my gunblade, I locked my hand around it and pivoted, swinging it around just in time to clash with the razor sharp claws of the being. Sparks flew and I delayed my demise if only for a few more moments. Here I was, still trying to figure out where I was and how I had ended up here and rather than have the time to do so, I was clashing with this...thing.

“Claire, you can't do this on your own. You have to run.” His voice was urgent, pleading with me to bail. But where could I go? I yanked the blade back from its gridlock with the beast's talons, arcing it around and hacking at the arm nearest me. I connected and the blade sunk in with the screech of metal through metal. An ear shattering howl ripped loose from the creature's twisted mouth and it batted me to the side like a cat casts aside a ball of yarn. My feet left the ground with the blow and I was sent flying once more. I lost my grip on the gunblade and I heard it go clattering somewhere to my right as I hit the ground with a thud, my breath leaving me in a harsh whoosh. At least I had escaped that one without any further puncture wounds. I quickly summoned my weapon to my hand and scrambled to my feet. From the corner of my eye I caught a glint of blue. A time gate. Spinning on my feet, I whirled around and took off at the quickest sprint I could manage, a limp to every other step as I made a break for what I hoped would prove to be my escape.

“Odin...I'm gonna die here...” Twenty yards from my exit, I was blindsided and bowled right off of my feet. Yet again, I went skidding. This was getting old, quick. My recovery was slower this time, my reserves coming close to being tapped. It felt like every bone in my body was creaking in protest. I paid for my sluggish response when what felt like teeth clamped down on my calf. I screamed, feral and high pitched, as I thrashed out, kicking with my free leg. I heard a crunch of some sort as my foot connected and the thing snarled long enough to release its hold on me and I went crawling away.

“You don't understand, Claire. You can't die here. There is no death in the Void Beyond. Souls who long to die instead live within dreams that are spun from the fabric of their deepest desires. Once trapped within these dreams, they have no means of escape. You. Must. Not. Die.” Odin's voice hissed in my ear loud enough that between his urging and the pounding of my own heart, I couldn't hear the beast closing in on me once again. Ten more feet, that's all I needed. I couldn't die here. I had to get back to Serah. I had to figure out what happened to me. I still had so much to...why was my Eidolith in my hand? The rose shaped crystal glinted in the shaded twilight, catching my eye and momentarily distracting me.

“Odin...no...” I murmured just as I was pinned to the ground by the behemoth. The crystal shattered as it hit the ground and though I heard it, I didn't see it. My eyes were squeezed shut tightly, waiting for the end to come. The pressure on my chest released and for a moment I wondered if this is what death felt like. What followed though, had to be hell. A clash of titans, Odin incarnate and the hulking leviathan faced off as Odin distracted the thing from its previous target. The Eidolon was dwarfed by the being and my eyes widened as I saw him knocked to the side like a rag doll. Get up, get up, please get up. I chanted that over and over in my head, trying to persuade him to keep going much like he had for me only moments earlier. Odin rose slowly and lashed out at the creature, sending it reeling backwards. It crashed to the ground hard enough to make the ground beneath me tremble and as I tried to cover the final stretch between myself and the time gate, I nearly lost my balance. But he was there to catch me, my lighthouse in a hurricane. Odin hauled me to my feet and gave me shove for the gate, the warmth of the blue light reaching out to me, trying to wrap me in its embrace. A deafening roar came from somewhere behind me and Odin was jolted into me and my path to the time gate was quickened.

My hand found Odin's clawed fingers as he urged me forward and I shook my head vehemently when he let go of me. He was going to stay behind wasn't he?! I tightened my grip and tried to pull the hulking Eidolon with me, only steps from the gate. My feet slid from the intense effort and I could feel the gate tugging at me as well. Which was it going to be...Odin or the gate. Couldn't I have both? With one last determined yank, I found myself falling into the time gate and the tension against my arm lessened immensely. Rather than Odin, all my hand held was the pink Eidolith crystal, a jagged crack arcing through the right-hand third.

Once more I found myself drifting. This time I heard nothing more than the sound of my heart pounding. No warm comfort of Odin's voice. No sign of him anywhere in my consciousness. For the first time in years, I was completely and utterly alone.

[Claire Gallows]

Noct:

February 7th, 2013

One Week Later

Lucis

When I finally awoke it was to the harsh glare of the hospital wing's fluorescent lights. At least, I thought it was the hospital wing. The sterile smell and whitewashed walls gave it away really. But I very well might have been in Hell. My head was killing me and I had to draw an aching arm up and over my eyes to shut out the light. I seemed to be having issues straightening out my thoughts and the groan that issued from my lips thoroughly summed up my ire at this predicament. Somewhere nearby, I could hear voices. They bounced around my head, echoing between my ears despite my best attempts at drowning them out.

“It could be some time before he wakes up fully. He took a pretty hard hit to the head and the couple of times he's been even halfway lucid, it seems like he may be experiencing some form of short term amnesia.” The physician spoke in curt and clipped tones, the concern evident just barely. Someone near the doctor clucked their tongue against the roof of their mouth in disapproval before speaking quietly. I almost missed it in my half conscious daze but eventually the words filtered into my head for processing.

“Perhaps that's for the better...with Commander Farron AWOL, maybe it's better he doesn't think about it. I'll be expressly forbidding anyone from speaking of her.” My father's voice said in response. Commander Farron? AWOL? It was always a big deal if a service person went off the grid, but a commander? That was huge. Odd. I couldn't remember one by that name. I racked my brain, running through faces and names, searching for the aforementioned soldier only to come up with nothing. A breathy sigh escaped my lips and I became vaguely aware of a slight weight to my left side, pressing the edge of the hospital bed down.

“Yes m'lord.” The doctor spoke again, acquiescing to my father's request immediately. I made a mental note to speak with him about it only to just as quickly forget what I had been wanting to do while I strained to hear the physician's hushed words. “Just as well. The Princess has been at his side day and night since they brought him in.” The Princess. That made sense. Stella. I wiggled my left hand, my fingers brushing over the silken tresses that had spilled over the edge of the bed as Stella slept at my side. Day and night, huh? It would figure I'd be indebted to her after such an act of kindness. Another groan left my lips as I tried to sit up and this quickly roused the young woman sitting in a chair beside me, her head on the bed.

“Noct? Noct, are you awake?” She asked, sitting upright. I could hear her brushing her mussed hair from her eyes, flattening it out as she coughed to clear her throat. Her chilled fingers closed around my hand and I reflexively curled my fingers around hers as I pulled my right arm from my eyes. Ever so slowly I cracked my eyes open and immediately I was assaulted by the obnoxious glow of the lights above. Why couldn't it have been sunlight? With closer examination, I came to the realization that the snow was still coming down heavily, drifts cresting and blocking out a large portion of the windows. I parted my lips, feeling them crack under the pressure of movement, and when I spoke, the only sound that came out was a ragged rasp from the desert that was my throat.

“Shh, shh, don't talk. You've been out a couple days,” more like a week, but I had no way of knowing that, “Here, let me get you a drink.” Stella left my peripheral vision and came back shortly after with a cup of ice water. Guiding it to my lips, I felt the sweet relief of the chilled liquid pour past my lips and into my parched mouth. Murmuring my thanks, I eased myself up. Everything ached, in particular my head. Stella gently set a hand on my shoulder, reassuring as well as trying to keep me from overexerting myself. Huffing out a soft sigh, I gave up and sat back against the squished pillows. I was vaguely aware of the footsteps nearing and I glanced aside to see both my father and a doctor I didn't recognize coming to a stop at my bedside. Relief was readily evident on my father's face, the emotion only moderately transcribed on the doctor's.

“What happened?” I murmured, my gaze bouncing from Stella to my father and then to the doctor. They all sort of looked between one another, unsure of who should speak first. Finally, my father stepped up to my side, setting a hand on my opposite shoulder. Leveling his gaze at me, I could see that he was conflicted on what to say to me. It was troubling. Normally my father and I had a fairly open relationship. Even if we didn't get along, we tried not to hide things from each other. My immediate thoughts went to my friends and my eyes widened, promptly both my father and Stella to tighten their grip on my shoulder. I was too weak to fight them and I sunk back against my pillow with a groan. “Gladio? Ignus? Prompto? They're okay right?”

“Don't worry, son. There was an ambush...Gladiolus was out for a few days but he's on the mend. They left the two of you to die out in that storm.” Regis glanced toward the snow caked windows, his brows furrowing at the thought of what I assumed is what could have happened. I felt Stella's fingers brush a strand of hair from my eyes and I glanced toward her to afford her the most fleeting of grateful smiles before I looked back to my father. An ambush. It vaguely rang some bells. Or maybe that was my pulse echoing in my head.

“But other than that everything's okay? Nothing amiss?” I asked, feeling like I was supposed to remember to ask about something. I just couldn't remember what.

“Everything will be okay once you are.” Stella said quietly, a soft smile gracing her pretty lips. It made enough sense. Everything would be fine.