#knowing that this dear man died so young and lived a life marred by tragedy

[paranorahjones]

I love John Keats with my whole heart. If I could pick one historical figure to have a conversation with, it would be him. Nothing stirs my soul the way his poetry does.

[fabulanova-ffxv]

A Voice Among the Shadows [LuNyx]

EEEEYYYYY it’s been a while since I’ve written a LuNyx oneshot XD

A continuation of @annaoi​‘s lunyx comic; Shadows in the Garden. I HOPE YOU LIKE IT ANN!!

SHIP: Luna/Nyx

WORD COUNT: 1816

❝It’s her way  to put trust in the untrustworthy to love the unlovable To have faith when there’s nothing left to believe in…❞

Bullets ricocheted against concrete walls. Buildings crumbled to ruins from their once grand structures. Despite with all the noise surrounding them from outside, an air of silence blanketed the interior of an abandoned office where a certain glaive and princess were taking refuge from the dangers of the once jeweled city. Crouched low and behind a desk, the two waited for a sign of safety—neither daring to exchange any form of sound. Not far from where they were, lay the carcass of a dead monster, slain by the very hands of the glaive which now held the delicate hairpin which belonged to the princess.

“You knew what would happen, didn’t you? You knew it was a trap and you still….” Nyx was the first to speak, his voice low in a murmur, eyes never leaving contact with the hairpin in his hands to look up at the princess. His fingers, cut and blistered dug into the tracking device that was hidden within the cherished gift—what a dangerous thing, if only he knew sooner it wouldn’t have come to this.

“It was my choice.” Lunafreya responded, her voice just as quiet. “You didn’t have to come save me.”

Nyx’s tightened his lips. Maybe he didn’t. If he didn’t, all those lives lost would be spared. He would still have glaives to call friends. And yet….

“It was my choice...” he repeated the very words back at her. “It’s my duty to protect you, your highness.”

“I never asked for protection.” Lunafreya said. “I was prepared to accept whatever were to happen to me. I do not fear death—”

“What I fear is doing nothing, and losing everything.” Nyx finished off, cutting the princess’s  short. His eyes wandered back to the hairpin. The sparkling jewel in his hand only weighed heavy on his soul. “I’ve done all I could, and yet I still lose everything…” he muttered lowly under his breath. Easier said than done….

A king’s blade was not forged to weep, yet Lunafreya could see it all. The grief hanged over his head like a shadowing phantom, seeping through his hardened shell of a soldier. It was the same man—the same shadow—she saw that night in the garden, lonely, broken, human.

“I’m sorry…” she  whispered. But she knew well her words of apology weren’t enough to heal his wounds, Oracle or not. “It’s all my fault…”

“They knew what they were putting themselves into. Glaives die everyday, your highness.” the glaive uttered “We know what we signed up for.” A heavy sighed passed his lips, if only it was enough to lift the weight burdening him within. “It’s not your fault.”

“No, it is.” Lunafreya shook her head in disagreement. “Because of my selfish decisions, I cost the lives of your friends. If I could exchange my lives for theirs I would in a heartbeat.”

Nyx scoffed, only barely holding his temptation to roll his eyes. “It’s like I said, your highness. They knew the chances of coming out alive would be slim. They died for a purpose, and that was to keep you alive.”

However her royal highness begged to differ. “One glaive already died for me, Nyx. That’s more than enough to keep me awake at night. And now witnessing more perish for the sake of my protection...” The princess looked up at the glaive. Eye to eye, her gaze which once spoke with tranquility were now painting to him the sorrowful prayers of mourning. “Do you think I want people to die for me?” Lunafreya suddenly questioned. “Am I really worth all these deaths?”

Nyx opened his mouth to speak but only resorted to silence once more. It was as if his voice had left him in that very moment.

“Tell me, Nyx.” The princess asked again.

“Of course you are.” Nyx replied. “You have the whole future in your hands, your highness. Something like that can’t be taken lightly. I was prepared to risk my life for you too.”

“Your life too shouldn’t be taken lightly.” Lunafreya uttered.

But Nyx could only laugh in response—a chuckle, dry and unconvincing. “We glaives...we’ve been forged to fight the battles beyond the wall. Eventually our blades will dull and our time of duty will come to an end. There is nothing much we can live for.”

If reassurance was what he wanted to provide, they did very little in doing so. Even to himself.

“What makes you say that?” the princess asked.

“I…” Nyx stopped. Memories of the past, a distant time in life he had never forgotten began to resurface. “I had a sister once. She was killed when the empire came.” The smell of his home engulfed by hungry flames, the image of his soot and blood covered hands searching for the body of his dead sister all replayed in his head like an old tape, gritty with the sound of muffled screams. “I couldn’t save her...I was helpless then as I am now. I couldn’t show her the future she wanted.”

It happened so long ago, yet the death of his beloved little sister still plagued the man deep in his bones. Seeing Crowe’s cold lifeless body on that table, it only reminded him of that haunting memory. She was another life he couldn’t save, and another promising future he couldn’t keep. She was like a little sister to both him and Libertus. And though she was sick of hearing it, Nyx wished he had said it to her more.

She deserved better. They both did.

The hand which held the hairpin tightened. It’s teeth digging into his palm. He was numb to the pain—but why did it still hurt?

A shaking of the head was the response he received. A small gesture but enough to express the princess’s disagreement. “True power isn’t found by those who seek it.” she began. “It is something that comes to those who deserve it. Your sister wanted you see a future as well. Anyone would wish the same for family they love.” Soft was her voice, but strong were those words.

Nyx shook his head like the princess did. He snickered and a smirk spread across his lips. “You don’t pull any punches, do you?”

A smile graced the Lunafreya’s lips. The sound of his laughter was small, but it was enough. Reaching her hand out, she then placed it upon the glaive’s. “You still have so much to live for, Nyx.” she said. “You can still show them a future. It rests upon your hands too.”

“My hands?” Another scoff sounded from Nyx. “What can I do? I’m nothing now without the king’s magic...” Drautos’ words were becoming a reality. Captain was right afterall, he always was.

“There is so much more you can do even without magic, dear glaive.”

“Not all miracles are made by magic...” Nyx murmured the words oh her own. “Does a man like me deserve a miracle?”

“We all do.” Lunafreya spoke, her voice sounding like that of a blessed prayer. “And I still need you to make it happen.”

“I got nothing to give, your highness.” Nyx grimaced.

“Your voice is all I need, Nyx.”

“My voice?” The glaive’s brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“I need you to keep the tales of the Kingsglaive alive. To tell our future the legends of the fallen.” Lunafreya began. Eyes dipping, she peered at the hairpin still held in the said glaive’s hand. “I’m lucky enough to have something to remember Crowe by. But the bravery of these men, they deserve so much more.” She looked back up at the glaive, her gaze now glassed with a sense of hope. “I want you to be their voices, Nyx Ulric. No longer will you remain as shadows fighting behind these walls.”

“You’re asking for a lot, your highness…” Nyx murmured. “Who would want to listen to an outsider like me?” How could he be the voice for others when he’s voice was lost so long ago. He was just a glaive, a weapon of the kingdom. The only talking he knew now was with blades in hand, not in tongue.

“The growing children, the babes that are yet to be born who will lead our world to a better promise.” Lunafreya continued. “They need people like you Nyx, someone who can lead them down the right path. And that’s something I can’t do alone. Royal, and Oracle I may be, there is no greater voice than a hero like you.”

“Do you really trust someone like me.” The glaive spoke softly, his words a whisper but loud enough for the princess to hear.

“More than anything.” Lunafreya responded “If I can trust you with my life, I can trust you with the future too.”

“The future….” the words of such tumbled across his tongue. It was something he had never thought much for himself let alone for others. Yet, here the princess was entrusting it to him, placing the lives of the growing young and children yet to be upon his blood-stained hands. Nyx sighed, heavy like the last. But he felt a little lighter as if a burden was lifted from his shoulders, giving way to the sense of ease he missed. “Alright then.” his gaze shifted to the princess. “I hope you know what you’re getting yourself into, your highness. I might turn on you.” his smirk widened, a genuine smile he thought he’d forgotten how to pull.

The smile on the princess’s lips didn’t falter. His humour was still intact, even in a grievous moment like this one. “I know you won’t. You’ve made sure that the safest place is by your side. That is more than enough for me to believe in you.” Her hand which she had placed upon his tightened around his fingers—a touch to show her faith to her glaive.

“It’s my job to, your highness...” With the hairpin in hand, he reached over and gently inserted it’s teeth into her golden tresses. However instead of pulling away his fingers lingered, holding her cheek ever so lightly against his palm. Her glow, now marred with tragedy. “I’ll get you out of here soon…” he whispered.

Lunafreya nodded. Placing her hand upon his like before, she laced her fingers with his. “We’ll get out of here.” she responded. “I’m not leaving this city without you, Nyx.”

“You won’t be...I promise.”

For a glaive like himself, Nyx knew a promise as such shouldn’t be made. But the princess, she gifted him with a sense of purpose, another chance at life—a voice that had long been silenced.

For the future she had told him.

But for you too, your highness.

He knew the chances of his voice reaching beyond these walls were slim. But even if for a little while, to walk with her side by side one more time...

I wish it’ll be enough...