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musicallibrarian93 · 4 years

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Inside Azriel’s mind (moriel/elriel/gwynriel)

Okay so I know this is a hot topic atm, and tbh I can see it going either way. However, I think I’m more partial to Gwyn right now and like all the fics I’m writing atm are Gwynriel supporting, but like I said it could go either way.

Anyway I kind of wanted to get into Azriel’s head a little bit, so here is my analysis.

Azriel had an awful childhood, didn’t believe he was worth anything. Gets taken in by one of his mothers friends and slowly starts to build up some kind of family.

He meets an extremely kind and beautiful girl (That’s Mor btw) and he’s besotted with her, as anyone who has met Morrigan would feel, and possibly around the time he was plucking up the courage to say something and perhaps start to feel like he was worth more. Mor decides that it’s Cassian who she wants to sleep with.

Now, regardless if you think what Mor did was right or wrong (btw she’d entitled to do whatever she wants, and I personally think she chose Cassian more out of panic and wanting to get out of her predicament rather than to hurt Azriel) it still hurt him. He was bound to take it personally, no matter the intention behind it, and I think this is where a large part of his feeling of worthlessness comes from.

We get told Azriel has been pining for Mor for 500 years. I think this is BS. I believe he loves her and she’s family to him but he’s more in love with the idea of family and relationship, which Mor and the rest of the IC represent to him. However, Azriel being Azriel and not confronting his feelings may just take it at face value and think he’s in love with her (Idk this is a grey area).

In addition, Azriel is a freaking Shadowsinger, he knows to some extent that Mor is/ has been involved with females. He would respect her privacy and never out her, but he knows for sure that she’s attracted to females. Mor herself says in ACOWAR, that it confuses Azriel when she sleeps with males. Why would it confuse him if he thought she exclusively liked males?

In terms of Azriel’s pining for Mor, it’s split into two possible paths. 1) I think an element of Azriel’s self-loathing could be that Mor has kept this secret from him? Like maybe he feels like because Mor doesn’t want to share that with him yet, that she views there relationship in a different way than he does. Or 2) (which I find more likely) He’s protecting Mor’s secret from everyone else? So when he beats up Eris at the High Lord’s meeting, maybe that’s his way of saying, ‘I stand with you/ will support you no matter what’ - but it’s coming across as romantic feelings because apparently being territorial is the only way an Illyrian can show they care.

Anyway, Elain comes along. We know she’s described as the most beautiful Archeron and we know that the two have numerous moments where they are fascinated by one another. That scene where he realises she’s a Seer. Gorgeous. When he gives her Truthteller. Stunning. Arguably there is some kind of connection between them. I believe during ACOWAR is when Azriel starts to see Elain in same way he's been seeing Mor, or at least thought he’d been seeing her. Here is this misunderstood, lost soul that he gets on with really well, and it’s the first time he saw a future with anyone. He’d been telling himself it was Mor but maybe this whole time it was supposed to be Elain?

Az sees a very strange situation arising. Rhys and Feyre are mates. Nesta and Cassian are mates (You cannot tell me Azriel didn’t know about this way before ACOSF). But Elain is mated to Lucien. That doesn’t fit the pattern. He says himself that he doesn’t understand how that turned out. Thinks the Cauldron got it wrong. And I think a lot of his attraction for Elain stems from a ‘this is what was supposed to happen’.

Then we meet Gwyn. Glorious Gwyn. Their history is so interesting. We know that he’s the first one to show up at the temple and they talk about in ACOSF how Azriel just killed all the Hybern soldiers. Which was strange because he normally brings them back for questioning. I’ve already seen theories about this being the mating bond and I would not be surprised. We know that when Rhys’s parents met, his father misted the men who were handling her so it’s not unlikely. But Azriel at this point is a little lost. His brother has just returned after 49 years, he doesn’t know if war is coming, he’s apparently pining for Mor and everything is up in the air. So I think anything he might have felt (i.e. the pull of a mating bond) would have been pushed deep down. Rhys talks about how he’s seen Cassian throw up after killing someone but that it doesn’t seem to affect Az in the same way, therefore Azriel is good at pushing down his feelings. Shocking I know. So upon seeing Gwyn for the first time he doesn’t even register what she might mean to him.

Fast forward to ACOSF and Gwyn sees Azriel in the training ring. Cassian notes that she stiffened, perhaps because it’s the first time in 2 years she’s seen the male who killed a room full of soldiers who were attacking and abusing her (this is more likely) or maybe she feels something too (I think it’s possible and I wouldn’t put it past SJM to be like -that was a clue- but it seems tacky and dismissive of her trauma)

Azriel sees Gwyn grow and train. And I think there’s a part of him that’s like ‘damn this girl is cool’. And we all know what happens on solstice. With Elain and Azriel, I really would have loved it if we saw that kiss but I can’t shake the feeling that at this point they’re both just a little bit upset that all their friends are in relationships and they’re not. I know there’s more to their relationship than that and that Azriel can’t bear the scent of her mating bond but I think they’re both quite lonely at this point.

Having said that I don’t think anyone acted wrongly on solstice. Regardless if Elain has strong feelings for Azriel she is well within her rights to kiss him and at this point Azriel isn’t flirting with Gwyn, his obsessive pining for Mor seems to have gone so he’s well within his rights too. And Azriel is damn hot. Good on them. Rhys also isn’t in the wrong, I made another Tumblr post explaining this :).

Azriel was hung up on Mor, Elain helped him see a different future. Or that a different future was possible so when Rhys forbids it, Azriel has found himself unattached, I guess, for the first time since he was 18. I don’t want to dismiss his feelings for Elain and say that he only used her but I think she was instrumental in making him realise what else he deserved.

Azriel and Gwyn then flirt and Idk about you but that must have felt quite thrilling to him. Unashamedly flirting with someone, not worrying what someone else might think. Anyway the next morning Elain gives him back the necklace, whether she saying ‘I shouldn't be doing this’ or ‘I don’t want to do this’, it’s clear that for whatever reason she wants to forget what happened. And Azriel intends to return it but decides to give it to Gwyn. Now I know this is gonna cause tension somewhere but like I don’t completely hate him for this because he doesn't give it romantically, If anything him giving it to her triggers the romantic thoughts, and he gives it anonymously.

We know that Gwyn and Azriel get closer after solstice, all the little. flirty bits with the ribbon. Ugh so cute. And we don’t know anything about Elain and Azriel’s relationship during those 3 months leading up to the Rite so for all we know they’re just getting on like they did before. But I think Azriel is enjoying flirting and being close to Gwyn. It’s a easy-going relationship so far without heavy demands and questions of fate, it’s just pretty normal. Yes they have a history to work through but we don’t know if they’ve confronted that between them. (BTW I would like to have a full version of ACOSF from Azriel’s perspective cool ) But I think regardless if Gwyn and Az are mates, they’ve found people they can just be themselves around and that’s kinda beautiful.

In summation, Azriel is a complex individual. It might be that he doesn’t end up with either Elain or Gwyn, although I find it unlikely because the bonus chapter sets that up for some kind of love triangle. But I hope I made sense, I know it’s like word vomit but oh well :) I love Gwyn and Elain and I do not want them fighting over a male. That’s tacky and they’re both better than that. Personally I would love see Elain go on her own journey and heal and find her indepence. (I’m gonna make a post about this). But yeah I just want them all to be happy :)

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ichigopanhpff · 7 years

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Ignis x Reader Fic: Next to You Part 9

Deadline week has hit at work, hence no preview. And part 10 will be delayed. There’s a lot of things I need to hash out with dialogue and connecting all the scenes together while I bash my head onto the table to get it to make sense.

Anyway, enjoy!

(Y/N) and her siblings entered the family study without pomp and circumstance to find the patriarch waiting at the head of the table. This room was always her least favorite: it was always dimly lit with an air of entitlement and snobbiness surrounding the ancient leather bound and wooden furniture. To his left sat their mother with a few unfamiliar faces along with some soldiers; they were wearing the Niflheim insignia on their armor. She immediately stiffened up her muscles and clenched her jaw as the stench of death and destruction permeated through these bastards.

“Ah, my children. Come,” their father greeted and gestured them to sit at the table with the adults. “Today’s a glorious day for the (Y L/N)s.”

They approached their respective seats at the far end of the table and sat; now was the time for patience and see how things play out. She had to plan her moves carefully based on whether or not the information she found on the Dark Net were true or not.

“As you all know, today’s the signing of the ceasefire treaty,” their father announced. “As that’s about to happen, we are to leave Insomnia with the Niflheim troops. Your mother and I have secured an alliance with these gentlemen where we can fully put our abilities to good use.” “And go where?” (Y/N) enquired. “We will be traveling with the Niflheim army and make our way to Altissia,” her mother answered. “So we’re betraying the Lucians to save our own asses?” she summarized, trying to keep her rising anger at bay. “The Lucians betrayed us when King Regis decided our family was irrelevant after the Wall went up,” her father argued back. “And it’s time to stop your childish games, (Y/N),” her mother authoritatively demanded. “You need to awaken for your own sake and the family’s.” “You mean for your selfish gains.” “The longer you repress it, the shorter your lifespan becomes,” she reminded. “You’ve already begun feeling the lack of stamina; your dexterity will be next.” “If only you’d have eliminated the Scientia boy when you had the chance in the program, we wouldn’t be in this situation,” her father scolded. “I’d rather die.”

She felt cold, sharp steel at the base of her neck the moment those words left her lips. Her eyes darted to the right and saw Azrael’s extended arm with his obsidian coloured blade encompassing his forearm.

“Shall I grant you that wish?” he coldly stated with a glare. “Son, put that away,” their father demanded in a bored manner. “We won’t do such a thing.”

Her older brother withdrew his arm and made his weapon disappear as quickly as it came.

“We first reached out to Niflheim because they have the technology to make us stronger; to help you, (Y/N).”

With a nod of her father’s head, one of the generals took out a small metal box and unlatched it to reveal its contents. It was a syringe with a strange black liquid inside. (Y/N)’s breath snagged in her throat and knew what that was.

“You intend to inject me with magitek and turn me into a mindless daemon hybrid?” “Oh no. We’d never do that to our own daughter,” her father replied in a saccharine-like manner. “We intend to let the magitek do the work for us to awaken you, to achieve the power you lack.”

With a nod of his head, two soldiers held (Y/N) down with considerable strength as the general made his way over with the syringe in hand.

“If you’re expecting me to quietly take this…”she hissed between gritted teeth.

She managed to lift her arms off of the table with enough strength to create a resistance from the soldiers and broke their wrists. As (Y/N) reached down to grab her daggers, Azrael summoned his and made her freeze when he aimed at her jugular again.

“Why can’t you ever just do as you’re told?” “Where’s the fun in that?” his baby sister shot back with a raised brow.

Azrael clicked his tongue and turned to Chronos.

“How much longer are you gonna sit there quietly, Chrom?!” His agitation grew by the second. “Temper, temper, dearest brother.” Chronos took a calm huff of breath and slowly sat up.

“What is the meaning of this?” their mother barked. “We have to object this decision,” Chronos coolly answered back, his stare unflinching. “Our ancestors didn’t fight the Empire eons ago just so we’d be turncoats. I understand we’d be of use, but what makes you think they won’t turn around and stab us in the back after we’ve expended our strength?” “Azrael,” their mother called and slammed her fists onto the table. “Talk some sense into them!” “Sorry, mom. Bro n’ sis got a point this time,” he added and released his blade. “I don’t trust our enemies n’ to think you guys would side with ‘em…” “Counselor (Y L/N), what is the meaning of this?” a Niflheim general asked. “You said they’d be on board.” “Give us a little time. We’ll be able to–” he tried coercing. “That’s something we’re short on,” the general interrupted. “Either they come with us now or we eliminate them.” “Oh, you say that as if you’ll be able to,” Azrael arrogantly barked with a menacing sneer. “Sorry, but we’re leavin’ outta here alive.” “(Y/N), can you fight?” Chronos asked with his back facing her. “Damn right I can.”

She reached down and grabbed her daggers from her boots, ready to attack.

“I’d still say we should’ve waited until they awoken her,” Azrael complained under his breath. “She’d been better use.” “Standing right here, Az.” “Then she’d be dead weight and our chances of survival would be slimmer,” Chronos shot back. “I’m gonna have to ask you two for the abridged explanation.”

The general ran out of patience and commanded the magitek soldiers to attack. The moment they moved, Azrael summoned his daggers and sliced them up into scrap metal within milliseconds. His speed and accuracy, as usual, was horrifying and lightning fast. Chronos’ eyes changed to a golden orange and made direct eye contact with the general who ordered the attack prior. He immediately froze and started whimpering. The Niflheim officer then took the pistol from his holster and held it up to his temple with shaking hands. (Y/N) knew what this was: he was using Sin of Seers.

“Please… don’t do this,” the man fearfully uttered out with nervous sweat glistening his forehead. All they heard after was the sound of the chamber going off and the seat next to him was showered with his blood and grey matter. (Y/N) gasped and turned away at the gruesome scene. This was when she thanked the Six her siblings were on her side; she’d have no chance in hell in a fight against them the way she was now.

“Chronos, don’t do this,” their father desperately called as their offspring made their way to the door. “This is for the family’s glory!” “Sorry, father. This was a bad call on your end,” their eldest son simply said as his eyes reverted back to its normal color. “Your hubris blinded you. King Regis was the better end of the deal.”

The three siblings made their way out of the room, only to meet with soldiers at the far end of the hallway and blocked the exit. As Azrael and Chronos got ready to attack, (Y/N)’s afterimage faded from beside her brothers and reappeared down the hall with two MTs beheaded laying at her feet.

“Always the hasty one,” Chronos commented and lightly shook his head. “Can’t let you guys have all the fun.” “Your dash still needs work,” Azrael criticized. “The afterimage is–” “My weakest point and it gives away my direction of attack,” she finished with an annoyed tone followed with an exaggerated eye roll. “Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard that from you enough to recite it in my sleep.” “And you have yet to fix it,” he pointed out. “It’s on my to-do list.”

They ran up to where she was and had their backs facing each other, getting ready to take down a horde of Magitek soldiers.

“I’d say this is the first time we’re fighting together,” she remarked. “Don’t get used to it,” Azrael flatly stated.

The soldiers fell as quickly as they charged at them. Azrael’s fighting skills were as well honed as she remembered, as was Chronos’ when he summoned his kunai daggers and took down three MTs. (Y/N), however, was beginning to feel her strength zap through every movement and had to conserve her stamina. Cursing inwardly, she begged her body to last a little longer until they were able to get out with a bead of sweat rolling down the side of her temples.

“So how long have you two known?” she asked to distract herself from the fatigue. “Long enough,” Azrael grunted and beheaded a MT. “And you didn’t bother telling me because…” “Would you have believed us?” Chronos asked and threw a few kunais at three more enemy soldiers. “Fair point.” “We were waiting to see what mother and father would do,” her older brother continued. “In order to plan accordingly.” “To revolt?” “To get to the Citadel before the Niffs,” Azrael corrected. “They’re gonna take the Crystal and kill the king.” “But I’m sure you know all this already from the Dark Net, dearest sister,” Chronos pointed out with a smirk and took down two more MTs. She clicked her tongue and huffed out, “… You hacked my firewall?” She angrily threw one of her daggers between the head of another robot and went to retrieve it. “So much for trust.” “We wanted to see if you were slackin’, is all,” Azrael defended their actions. “Then?” she grunted and took down another robot. “What were their choices?” “Side with the Niffs or swallow their pride to aid the King for nothing in return,” Chronos answered. “We all know what happened.” “Does King Regis know about this?” “Let’s assume he does, which was why he sent his precious son and entourage outta the city,” Azrael said. “And they dunno a damn thing ‘bout it.” “So they really think they’re just going to Altissia to fulfill the treaty then?” “You gotta hand it to the king; sacrificing a whole city to ensure his son’s safety.” “He did what he could with the hand he was given,” Chronos added.

With their pathway cleared, (Y/N) quickly ran up to one of the curtains and grabbed her go-bag. Slinging it on her back while running to the entrance, one of the generals managed to jump ahead of them. The three stopped dead in their tracks and prepared to fight.

“I got this,” Azrael stated and summoned his weapons again. “Go.” “But–” “What, you startin’ to develop a bond now?” he sneered. “Get outta here.”

Chronos pushed (Y/N) up the stairs as their sibling engaged in combat with the general, hearing the clanging of weapons echo through. Reaching the top of the stairs, her older brother quickly stopped her in her steps from the crumbling debris of what used to be their ceiling. After the dust settled, they looked up to see three Magitek Assassins had crashed down their path.

“Man, they’re persistent…” Chronos growled under his breath and conjured his weapons.

The first robot lunged at them and the two ducked off to the opposite ends of the narrow hallway. (Y/N) got behind it and swiftly stabbed it at the base of its neck while the second one raised its daggers at her. She managed to intercept it with her other dagger after getting a minor graze on her cheek and found herself being slowly overwhelmed in strength. Gritting her teeth, she forcefully pushed back with a grunt and flung its weapon out of reach. Before she could deliver the final blow, several smoky colored kunai flew past her by a hair’s breath and killed the assassin.

Before they could breath a sigh of relief, a silver blade protruded past Chronos’ stomach with a bloom of his blood staining his fatigues. (Y/N) gasped out loud and called for her brother.

“Oh I’m not goin’ down that easily,” he coughed out and summoned a kunai in his hand. He stabbed it at the MT’s temple and fell down moments later. He collapsed on the floor, holding onto his wound.

“No, no, no, no, no,” she muttered and propped him up on the staircase railing and then rummaged for a Potion in her go-bag. Chronos’ blood-stained hand stopped her. “Go,” he gasped out and coughed out some blood. “I’m not leaving you.” “The next wave will hit in 14 seconds… By the time you give me a potion, none of us will make it out alive… Make your way to the secret exit.” “Chro–” “For fuck’s sake. Listen for once,” he spat out in a hoarse voice followed with wheezy breathing.“We were never kind to you nor did we protect you.” “So this is your way of making it up?” “Think of it however you want, but you need to leave,” he commanded. “I’m a liability now.”

He gingerly reached into his pocket and placed a set of keys into (Y/N)’s palm. They were to his motorbike. She was surprised to see the keychain of a worn out, hand-carved chocobo dangling in her hand smeared with his blood; she made that for him when she was five and thought he threw it out.

“It’s hidden in a blind spot in the tunnels,” he instructed through ragged breaths. “This master key will allow you to access it.”

She unwillingly accepted them and clenched it in her fist. Inhaling a sharp breath, she squeezed her eyes closed and felt the weight of choosing to leave her brother behind. Of all the times for them to decide to be proper siblings to her…

“You and Az better make it out,” she stated with a shaky voice and stood back up.

(Y/N) made her way to the dead end of the short hallway and pushed a small button on the side of a hanging painting. The wall then caved and slid to the side, revealing the secret passage. The entrance then closed behind her once she walked in and her body flashlight automatically came on upon being submerged in the darkness.

And darkness meant daemons. There was no turning back now.

She wouldn’t expect her family to make this passageway an easy exit for security measures. While descending down the second flight of stairs, a painful throb echoed at the pit of her stomach and head. She gasped aloud and stumbled into the corner with ragged breathing as cold sweat formed at the base of her forehead.

“No, no, no…” she whispered to herself. “Not right now.”

The second wave of pulsating white hot agony hit her. She let out a throaty groan and collapsed in the corner. (Y/N) raggedly gasped and felt her eyes and palms burn hot with wisps of grey matter exuding out. Her vision was slowly blurring and felt like she was going to pass out from the pain alone. She prayed to the Six for this to subside, only to be wracked with more of it. It was as if they were purposely punishing her.

However, she knew the longer she stayed here, the higher the chance she’d be captured. Forcing herself to move, she gingerly rose up and slowly staggered down the last flight and palmed the wall for support. The burning sensation came in waves until it finally decided to calm down several minutes later. Huffing large breaths to regain her concentration, she moved along only to be blocked by several Imps spawning from the damp concrete floor. The ratty creatures lunged at her and she quickly drew her daggers, turning them into minced meat out of their corpses. As the daemon’s bodies were absorbed back into the pool of darkness, she saw the last thing she didn’t ever wish to see: Chronos’ and Azrael’s spirits at the far end of the tunnel.

Her eyes widened with disbelief as their voices echoed in her head. “We bestow what was ours unto you. Give ‘em hell.”

The burning rose up again and she let out an anguished scream as their specters disappeared from her line of sight. There was a sudden flash of her brother’s corpses in her mind, filled with their final moments. They died how they lived; with pride. Even if they were the bastards of Lucis, they still held their head up high meeting their maker. Gasping aloud, streams of tears rolled down her cheek and dry sobbed, still in denial of what she saw.

And that’s when the worst of it hit her.

Her lungs suddenly felt like it inhaled fire; her body felt like there was a thousand daggers piercing and rotating on every one of her nerve endings. Wrapping her arms tightly around her stomach, she let out choked groans and sobs. (Y/N) collapsed on her knees and felt a wave of energy release like a force field rumbling through the tunnels. She’s heard the awakening process itself was always violent, but she never imagined it to be this painful! Finally collapsing on all fours, she panted with sweat dripping from the tip of her nose and tried to regain focus. Once she mustered enough energy to get back up, she heard the echoes of several footsteps of MT soldiers roughly 150 yards away.

(Y/N) was tired of it all. Tired of struggling, tired of the Empire dictating everyone’s pace, tired of running. It was time to fight back. Her parents wanted her to take up their namesake. Well they got it.

Languidly breathing aloud, she staggered down her end of the tunnel, still feeling the burn wrack all over her body. The energy discharging out of (Y/N) was like smoldering smoke from a volcano after an eruption. She was beyond pissed and needed something to quell this bloodlust she’s held back for so long. Tightly gripping her weapon handles, she turned the corner and met with a small brigade of MT soldiers and assassins obstructing her way.

She had to finish them quick. Six knows when the daemons will spawn again or how long she’ll last. As an assassin ran at her, she turned to her left and cleanly sliced through its arm and beheaded it. One by one, they fell by her hand and felt the energy slowly concentrating to her eyes. As the last assassin moved toward her, its movements froze when she stared directly into its red goggles, feeling a sense of control wash over her.

“Kill yourself,” she vocally commanded with malice. “Rid your shit for an excuse of existence from Eos.”

The assassin raised its arm and stabbed itself in the chest. Letting out a shaky breath as the MT collapsed in front of her, (Y/N) now just grasped how horrifying her brothers’ powers were and the weight of darkness she inherited. The energy from her eyes faded quickly and was replaced with a dull throbbing ache at the base of her temples. Holy hell, no wonder Chronos was irate all the time, she thought. Quickly retrieving her dagger sticking out of one of the robot soldiers, she continued down the tunnel to look for his bike.

She finally managed to locate it after a few more daemon and MT slayings. Taking the key out from her pocket, she inserted it into the lock and a slab of concrete pushed out from the wall. The slab then lifted upwards, revealing a secret compartment as florescent lights flickered on.

And there it was. The path to her freedom.

She walked in and straddled the bike, getting a feel for the handles and grips before turning the key. Hearing the engine roar to life, she put on the helmet that’s slightly too big for her and made her way out. The scenery of the once tall and immaculate buildings were replaced with debris, black smoke and destruction. From afar, she could see Niflheim Magitek ships gliding over her fair city, raining fire and releasing daemons.

What she found out on the Dark Net was true: they managed to control the creatures of darkness. Her parents decided to ally themselves because they wanted steal their technology for our benefit. Her dad was blinded by power lust and desperate for influence, uncaring of what would become of them. They were pretty much their prisoners now that their bargaining chips were gone; she had no choice but to abandon any hopes of successfully rescuing them for now.

She continued to speed through the broken roads, only to find a few civilians running from a Goblin chasing them. (Y/N) clicked her tongue in annoyance and pulled over.

“Persistent creatures…” she growled under her breath as she dismounted and removed her helmet. As she ran to the civilians, she realized they were her co-workers. Shit, she thought to herself and immediately threw her hood over her face. The goblin managed to catch up and as it was about to pummel Chris, (Y/N)’s dagger immediately flew and landed itself on its abnormally sized forearm. The creature howled in pain as the escapee’s attention turned to her.

“Run!” she shouted at them. “Unless you wanna be Goblin bait.” “Don’t haveta tell me twice!” Chris yelped and dashed away.

His cowardice never ceased to surprise her.

The goblin’s roar drew her attention back as it came running at her at full speed. She reacted too late and was caught in the impact of one of its powerful punches, throwing her body back several feet and crashed into the side of a totaled car. Grunting aloud, she collapsed on all fours and realized the impact threw her other dagger away somewhere.

Stumbling back to her feet, (Y/N) tried to make eye contact with the Goblin in hopes to control it, only to have the air knocked out of her lungs. She held onto her ribs and coughed, realizing how long Chronos’ ability took to charge up. If she were to take one more upfront, they’d definitely be broken. Trying to think of a strategy, a formless voice echoed in her head.

“Take its power.”

It echoed repeatedly and she suddenly found her right arm rising up on its own. She then scribbled the kanji for ‘strength’ with her pointer finger and a glowing red wisp of air surrounded her when the character evaporated. Her body suddenly had this sense of invincibility. The Goblin charged at her with its fist, only to have it caught by her bare hands. With a mighty yell, she flipped the creature onto its back using its own momentum against it and pummeled its face in. It wasn’t going to get any deader than that. (Y/N) then looked at her shaking hands covered in black ooze from the Goblin’s blood as the feeling of power disappeared.

The corpse of the daemon sunk back into the dark puddle as she sat on the road, still reeling from shock.

She did this. And she enjoyed it. It wasn’t until Oz’s voice roused her back.

“Are you alright?” her boss asked and reached his hand out to help her back up. She ignored his gesture and stood back up on her own. “It’s not safe here. You should take that car over there and leave as quickly as you can,” (Y/N) suggested through a disguised voice with her back turned on them. They can never know.

“Salome, see if you can get that to start,” Oz instructed the woman and turned back to her. “Thank you… (Y/N).”

She immediately turned to face him, her breath quickened from his sudden knowledge.

“I’ve known for a while, to be honest.” “How–” “You’re not the only one who uses the Dark Net for info,” her boss revealed. “I’ll keep this between us.” “You should go before more of ‘em show up.” “What about you?” “I’ll be fine.”

She reached into her bag and quickly downed a potion to recover her strength. (Y/N) felt the bruising around her ribcage slowly subsiding once the medicine took effect.

“You’re not as bad a person as your family’s reputation precedes, you know,” Oz pointed out. “Remember that.” “Oz!” Salome called from the other end, with Chris honking the horn like he was having road rage. “We gotta go!” “Stay safe, (Y/N).”

His voice was full of genuine concern.

“If there’s one thing I know what to do besides hacking is staying alive, boss,” she stated with a tone of confidence. “Be careful out there.”

With a nod, he ran to rendezvous with Chris and Salome in the car and sped off. (Y/N) lingered momentarily to retrieve one of her daggers laying on the debris-ridden ground and searched for the other. Her brothers used to make fun of her for still using a physical weapon as (Y L/N)s were able to conjure one up after awakening.

What they didn’t understand was they were the weapons she trained with Ignis from their schooldays. It was the one thing she managed to sneak out before she left. She knelt beneath the car she got knocked up against before and saw the glittering weapon underneath. Her arm was just long enough for her fingers to reach it and dragged it back to her.

Giving it a brief sentimental look at her retrieved item, she saw her eyes in the gleaming reflection of the weapon; they were a fiery glowing orange like Chronos’. Was this permanent? Hearing explosions and roaring echo in the distance, she quickly holstered the weapon into the side of her boot and ran back to her bike.

Getting into another fight with daemons was the last thing she wanted and frankly, she was running on empty. With a rev of the engine, she took off. Whatever she had to deal with her awakening will have to wait; getting to King Regis was top priority now. After bobbing and weaving her way through destroyed city roads with many detours, she finally reached the Citadel. Jumping off her bike, she hiked up the barricade made of concrete debris in time to see the Crystal in tow by one of the Niflheim aircrafts. If they got to that, then the King was already… Her breath audibly stuck in her throat.

She was too late. Her choices now were to either storm the Citadel herself and try to find the king while fighting a horde of MTs in her current condition or leave to survive another day.

What would Ignis do? No. She already knew: he’d stick to his duty and protect the prince no matter what. Balling her fists up angrily, she hissed a frustrated breath as she painstakingly turned her back to the royal structure and made her way back to her bike.

Your Majesty… I’m sorry. I wanted to do more.

(Y/N) sucked in a breath and put her helmet back on as she mounted the bike, her heart heavy with guilt and regret. Making her way to the bridge leading out of Crown City, she fought back the tears threatening to spill out and swallowed the weighty lump in her throat. After making her way across, she stopped to the side and took one last look.

Insomnia was all but a haze of smoke and destruction now. Her home, her friends, her family… All displaced or dead at the hands of the Empire. And all she did was stand there and watch it burn. Thinking back on it now, that’s all she’s ever done.

No more. Damn the consequences. It was time to play by her own rules.

With a new mission to take revenge on the Empire, she got back on her bike and started her journey. Her first order of business now was to find civilization, gather intel and a safe haven. As the haze of annihilation cleared, she looked up to see the sun beating down the vast dry desert-like environment. From a distance, a herd of wild voretooths ran about. If she’d known the chances of this invasion happening were that high, she would’ve read up more on the outside world, (Y/N) thought to herself and suddenly found her mode of transportation slowing down.

“You’re kidding me, right?”

It ran out of gas.

“Goddamn it, Chronos,” she complained and smacked the handlebar with the heel of her palm. “Would it kill ya to fill your bike up?”

She paused at her poor choice of words and groaned aloud, inwardly apologizing to him.

Switching it to neutral, she hopped off to push and walk alongside it. Abandoning it would be an easier option, but then how would she get around? The world’s a big place, after all. And she can’t rely on the kindness of strangers out here. After Insomnia walled itself off, there were whispers of a lot of people who held a grudge against the King, saying he abandoned them. Continuing to walk down the stretch of road with the sun beating on her back, she felt the heat slowly effecting her. Finally deciding to remove her helmet, she lifted the seat and threw it in the storage before going back to pushing.

(Y/N) hurried on while trying to keep her exhaustion at bay, hoping none of Niflheim’s troops caught up too quickly. The sound of the wind blowing past the dry landscape then mixed in with the familiar hum of a Magitek airship flying 30 knots away. But it was too late for her to find cover. Shit.

A lone soldier wearing black and red armor jumped from the vehicle and engaged her. The white silk cloth in front of her bore the Niflheim insignia. (Y/N) immediately drew her daggers and got into position. She didn’t have enough energy to use her new found abilities and needed to be on the defensive.

“You look like someone the Empire’s looking for,” the warrior casually spoke, her lance at the ready to attack. “They’re looking for a lot of people,” she remarked. “Gonna have to be a bit more specific.” “That’s all the info they gave me. Unless you have more.”

(Y/N) figured now was a good time to see whether or not her parents’ life lessons of leveraging was useful or not.

“What if I were to tell you…” (Y/N) began. “I have some sensitive intel to pass down if you pretend you didn’t see me.” “Kinda hard to believe that with your daggers drawn at me, sweetheart,” the dragoon pointed out. “Says the lady with the lance.” “Depending on how valuable your info is…” The silver blonde haired woman pondered aloud and rubbed her chin with her gloved hand. “I might turn a blind eye.”

The dragoon withdrew her weapon and turned her back to (Y/N).

“Come on board and tell me what you know.” “My mom told me to never get into a stranger’s airship,” (Y/N) scoffed and sheathed her weapon. “Name’s Aranea Highwind. Now get in before I change my mind, sweetheart.” “My name’s not ‘sweetheart’; it’s Wild Rose.” “After I gave the dragoon what I knew, she dropped me off at Hammerhead,” (Y/N) finished. “From there, I slowly made my way to Lestallum on the bike.” “You’ve… had quite the journey,” Gladio remarked and wiped the bottom half of his face with his hand, remembering their recent exchange with Aranea at Fort Vaullerey. “Your brothers did all this… just so you’d awaken?” Noct asked in disbelief. “A bit extreme, if I do say so myself. But yes… They got what they wanted out of me. And then some.”

Silence briefly filled the camp. After an extremely long day, they cleaned up and all turned in for the night. Ignis and Noct turned to see (Y/N) sleeping soundly on the ground with his leather jacket as her pillow, curled up in fetal position to stay warm.

“Kid had it rough out here,” Gladio murmured, looking at her sleeping form with softened amber eyes. “These parts aren’t exactly kind to lone travelers. It may be better for her to stick with us for a bit.” “That’s up to her,” Ignis answered. “Don’t you care about her safety?” the burly guard asked with a slight defensive tone. “I do, but it’s her life,” he firmly replied. “I can’t force her to stay.” “’Cuz you haven’t given her a reason to,” Gladio huffed out. “And what do you mean by that?” “Y’know, for someone so analytic of the smallest things, you completely missed the point here,” the tattooed guard chided. “When the Red Giant was attacking us, you were the one she chose to protect.” “I’m sure it’s because she properly assessed the–” “Oh, cut the crap, Iggy. She did it because she loves you. And you know it.”

Ignis stood in place staring at Gladio while Noct and Prompto stood idly by. It was then Prompto realized who (Y/N) was talking about when they had the mini heart-to-heart at her apartment back in Crown City. “C’mon guys, don’t fight,” Prompto tried to deescalate the argument. “We’re not fighting,” they both replied, not breaking eye contact from one another. “She doesn’t deserve you,” Gladio started up again. “You have no idea the shit’s she put herself through for your ass ‘cuz she thinks your life’s more valuable.”

Ignis let out a small breath, unable to come back with a retort, knowing the Shield was right. He looked away from the guard and down at the ground.

Deep down, he had a feeling (Y/N) wasn’t telling him everything. The story behind a (YL/N)’s awakening, the real reason she dropped out of the gifted program, her stubborn insistency at keeping him at arm’s length with her personal affairs… She always knew how much to share and hide to keep the curious at bay. He never pressed her on it simply because he didn’t know how to break through her defenses.

He sighed and squeezed his nose bridge. “It’s selfish of me to ask you of this, Noct, but can you give me some time with her tomorrow?” “For you, anything, specs,” the prince happily agreed. “Should we take her inside the tent?” Prompto asked and looked at (Y/N)’s slight shivering form. “We can sleep outside tonight if needed be,” Gladio suggested. “Iggy, you should stay with her.” “M-Me?” he lightly stuttered. “Figure she could use a friendly face to wake up to… Unless you want me in there instead.” “I’m sure we’ll all be able to all fit in the tent somehow,” the spectacled adviser gave the alternate solution. “I wouldn’t want you all to catch a cold.”

He carried her inside the tent and settled her limp body at the far end of the tent, with him laying beside her. The rest of the guys tried their best to give them as much space as possible.

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