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fullmetalkittn · 6 years

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The Last King’s Knight - Ch.3 [Fin]

736.V.16th, 4:30am

The alarm chirped through the dark apartment at an ungodly hour, rousing a Tiger who was certain she had only been out for five minutes. After a late night spent among King's Knight friends, it took all the willpower the Glaive could muster not to chuck the unruly device across the room and roll back under the covers. Instead, she dragged herself upright and ground the sleep out of her eyes.

Except for the cell buzzing away on the side table, all was silent and still. Even the sun had more sense than to be up at this time.

Stifling an expansive yawn, she took the phone up and silenced the alarm, then checked her notifications. Of course, there weren't any. Her dear digital comrades had stayed up as late as she had, and were likely still enjoying the blessed oblivion of sleep. With one last forlorn look at the cozy pink quilt snuggled against her, Tiger stood up and began what promised to be the longest day ever.

After a breakfast consisting of sweetened Ebony and two slices of toast with butter and strawberry jam, Tiger made her way to the water closet where she stood like a zombie in the shower. Nice and hot for a change, she did more basking than washing as her mind sorted through her schedule.

Debriefing began at the Citadel, 8am sharp; she'd have to be out of the apartment by 6:30 if she wanted to avoid any risk of being late. While only a couple blocks away, the security crack down could mean anything, even for a girl in a Kingsglaive uniform. Maybe especially so, given the recent rearrangement, and it wouldn't do to gain the attention of Captain Drautos for being tardy.

Maybe I should leave at six...

She expected to be assigned some sort of guard duty, perhaps even an escort. Whatever it was, she hoped it wouldn't be a solo affair. As her mind sorted through the various unpleasant tasks that might present themselves, her thoughts drifted to a message that sat read, but unanswered on her phone. Received yesterday morning - just before her bedtime, it was a statement of intent and a request for support from Luche Lazarus. While not officially a Captain, he certainly seemed to consider himself such, and so texted orders from him weren't exactly uncommon. With no established hierarchy beyond the often distant Drautos, Tiger thought his assignments were typically sound and few argued against them. This one, however...

The water began to cool – a sure sign that she'd been under it too long. Once out of the shower, she dried off and pinned up her wavy, green tresses, then stepped back out into the dimly lit apartment. A weathered three-drawer dresser pushed against the wall just outside the bathroom door held all the clothing she owned. Her freshly cleaned uniform lay folded on top of it. She picked up the black bodysuit with a quiet sigh and worked her way into it.

The boys don't have to wear this. She thought with a scowl as she zipped and fastened it into place with a double-wrapped, black leather sword belt. Tall black boots with sterling buckles and three inch heels were followed by an equally black, winged-sleeve short coat secured with cross straps above her bosom. To finish off the ensemble, a length of pearly white Lucian silk fluttered between her shoulders. This marked her as wielder of healing magics, but as far as Tiger was concerned, it only added to the lengthy process of getting into uniform. Once finished, she examined her reflection in the half length mirror nailed to the wall above the dresser. The sturdy, protective material pushed her curves into a shape that wasn't quite her own, but she had to admit it wasn't unpleasing to look at.

Satisfied that nothing would fall off or burst open, she combed back and arranged her hair in an upswept ponytail. Finally, she draped the dog tags engraved with her Hunter alias around her neck. While not part of the Kingsglaive uniform, she never left home without them – as per her father's standing orders. Then she fetched her City ID, her hunter ID and her InsomniYen Card from the kitchen counter and tucked them into a pocket sewn inside her jacket.

“Just about ready.” She said, glancing at the mirror again. Already, her hair was trying to escape it's tied up predicament. Wisps of the jade-colored stuff had fallen down to frame her temples. She made a face and blew a raspberry at her reflection, then retrieved her phone. The display lit up at her touch. 6:17 AM. More than enough time for one map on King's Knight. Her thumb hovered over the game's icon, but she shook her head, opting for responsibility.“Time to go.”

The city streets were remarkably empty as she made her way towards the Citadel square. A few early birds and all-nighters shared the sidewalks, and there was hardly any traffic to speak of as she crossed the thoroughfares without a need to mind the pedestrian signals. Her abysmal sleeping habits made Tiger a typical part of the last-minute rush to get to work on time, and so she knew these things would change very shortly. But for now, at least, she could enjoy the relative silence and solitude of these precious minutes before dawn.

By the time she drew near the Capitol Promenade, the sun was up and Insomnia had awakened. Her people emerged from their skyscraper homes, occupying the sidewalks with purpose and the streets with sleek and stylish automobiles. A line had already formed at the upper gates to the Citadel courtyard; a dozen or so civilians and a couple members of the press waited to get inside. Figuring she still had plenty of time, Tiger was content to do the same. She settled in behind the little crowd, but found herself waved ahead by a gate guard who noticed her uniform and requested her ID.

“Running late, aren't you, Glaive?” The middle-aged woman asked as she scanned the plastic card's microchip. Her side swept brown hair and round, weathered face made Tiger think of her mother. “Many of your comrades arrived a good hour or so ago.”

What? Was this woman joking? “Are you joking?”

The lady chuckled in a way that also reminded Tiger of her mother, and handed back the id. “Afraid not, dear. Take care in there, won't you?”

“Yeah, you too. Take care out here, I mean.” The bewildered glaive wandered through the checkpoint and tucked her id away. Had she missed a memo? After all the fuss not to be late for a change, Tiger still found herself racing for the towering heart of Insomnia with all the panic and fervor of a tardy school kid. Luckily, very few civilians had been allowed past the gates so far and so there weren't many pedestrians or vehicles to worry about. She scampered into the courtyard at the front of the Citadel just as a group of uniformed soldiers occupying the entryway stairs began to disperse.

The guard had been right.

Tiger stopped to catch her breath at the base of the steps. Fellow Kingsglaive that she knew only in passing marked her presence with fleeting glances as they set off with faces full of determination. Had she missed the entire debriefing? It must have been a little past seven at the most. What the hell happened to Eight AM?

And where is Crowe?

A fellow caster, and possibly the closest thing she had to a flesh and blood friend in this city, surely she would have at least said hello or something. Maybe she had already left. Tiger scanned the departing soldiers for that unruly mop of brown hair. With luck, she could just tag along with her and wing the rest of whatever she missed. But instead, she found herself making eye contact with Luche Lazarus who stood at the top of the stairs. He frowned as he made his way down to her.

Well, shit.

“Rosa,” he addressed her using her last name. How she hated that militaristic crap. “Am I to take your embarrassingly tardy appearance here as a sign that you've decided to support this operation?”

“Right. The operation.” Also known as the DM she still hadn't responded to. Realizing what she had walked into, Tiger scoured her brain for an appropriate response that wouldn't piss him off, but in the end only the truth presented itself, “I'm sorry Luche. I haven't made up my mind yet. Have you seen Crowe? Was she here?”

His frown deepened. “No, and I hope you aren't thinking she'll make the decision for you. This is a choice you'll have to make on your own.” The veteran glaive paused and glanced up at the sky, then narrowed his eyes at her, “Lucky for you, there's still some time to do that, but not much of it. Text me once you've figured out where you stand.” With that, Luche gave her a brief nod and turned away. Tiger watched him scale the stairs back into the Citadel as that uneasy weight settled on her heart again. She took a seat on the empty steps and sighed.

Why do things always have to be complicated?

All she wanted was to do the right thing - to make her father proud and protect her mother. Now it felt like those two things were at odds with each other.

Thinking a bit of music would help her sort her feelings, she dug her phone out of her coat pocket. It vibrated briefly in her hand, indicating a missed message. When the display lit up to reveal an unread DM from Ignis in King's Knight, Tiger wasted no time in swiping open the device and loading the app to check it.

It was quite fun.

I must admit, I didn't expect to stay up so late on the eve of such a busy day, but I have no regrets. Indeed, our time was well spent. I dare say I outscored even you this time. However now that the sun has risen and our journey begins, I fear it will be some time before I'll have the luxury of playing again.

If you'll forgive my asking, I'd like to know your real name. That way I might know you should we reunite outside of the game. (And I still hope that we do, heh) Though you may not realize it, you know part of mine already. It's Ignis. Ignis Scientia.

Whether or not you share yours with me, know that I'll miss our time together. Do take care, Kittn.

Until we meet again.

She had to read the entire thing over again after the second paragraph unexpectedly caused her heart to flutter. After all, revealing his name as his handle only upped the odds that Ignis was actually an old codger like his frequent choice of character. Such a giddy reaction to this endearing message was completely uncalled for.

But then, she recalled he also liked to play the Indomitable Knight, Lancelowe. That one was decidedly more attractive for a tiny video game character lacking a mouth, and less ancient besides.

Amused at the continued mystery of Ignis's actual existence, Tiger bit her lip and thumbed out a reply.

Hello Ignis!

So this was your name the entire time? A handsome name like that must have a meaning. Maybe you'll teach me what it is some day?

But I guess that day will have to wait. And so will our rematch! It was a whole five points you beat me by! I can't possibly let that stand, so you'd better stay safe on your trip, ok? If anything happened to you I'd never reclaim my high score.

My name is Aria, btw. Aria Catarina Rosa. It's Altissian. Maybe you'll learn what it means while you're there. Then you can teach me that too, when you get back. In person, if you like. Until then, have fun in Accordo, Mr. Scientia.

I hope to see you soon!

Never before had Tiger reread or second guessed a message intended for Ignis, but this one she fretted over. Why did it read like awkward desperation? Had she always written that way? The whole handsome name thing was definitely a little lame. You could be sending this to an 80 year old grandpa, she reminded herself and resolved to edit it, only to fat finger the send button instead.

She blinked, then stared at her phone in wide-eyed horror when the sent message confirmation flashed across the screen. Six save me! What have I done?

As if it bore an answer from the Astrals on high, the obnoxious crown-city cell chirp echoed around her. Startled completely out of her skin, Tiger fumbled with her device, only to realize it wasn't the source of the sound. Above and behind, she scrambled to her feet, expecting to find Luche bearing down on her, armed with his mobile. Instead, she faced an equally harrowing presence as the Crown Prince himself strode down the stairs in the company of three other gentlemen. They wore Crownsguard crests on their otherwise casual clothes.

Trained to recognize Prince Noctis, but not exactly how to acknowledge him, Tiger eyed the quartet warily as they neared and wondered if she should bow or kneel or something.

But then Captain Drautos called out to the Prince from the top of the stairs. His voice drew the attention of Glaive, young Royalty and retainers alike, and all turned to witness the King of Lucis hobble down the steps towards his son. They met on the midway landing. Despite his failing health, a tangible power surrounded the monarch. Even standing out of earshot at the bottom of the miles-long staircase, Tiger could feel it pulsing like a distant heartbeat at the edge of her senses. Chosen as she had been, this was the well of astral might that she could tap into to fuel her magical talents at any time.

At least as long as the king lived.

Tiger glanced down at the phone in her hand. The face was dark, but Luche's request for support lit up in her memory. While he hadn't been explicit with the details, she had no doubt how this Operation would end. Betrayal.

I could tell the king right now. It's what a good Glaive would do.

But then I'd be leaving my parents to the mercy of the Empire.

Is that what a good daughter would do?

Before she could argue herself to a conclusion, movement from above drew her attention back to the Royal family. Prince Noctis's three-man retinue were heading down the stairs again towards a car that may have been parked there forever for all the notice Tiger had given it.

Passing nearest to her, the tall, bespectacled one in the fancy jacket glanced her way. His shrewd, blue-green eyes darted from hers to her hair before he returned her tracking gaze with a slow blink, a half-smile and a courteous nod. Tiger blushed. What the hell? She patted her ponytail to make sure it was still in place, then frowned, feeling a bit silly as she watched him take point near the black sedan.

It was the color, of course. It was always the color. She had attempted to hide her minty mane with dark brown dyes for the first few weeks of her Insomnian residence, but had quickly lost the patience and the budget to continue the charade. Let people assume what they would, she had decided back then. It hadn't really bothered her. Until now.

Crownsguard. She thought with a scowl as she lifted her chin and looked away. Then another thought followed that softened her demeanor as quickly as the first had soured it, He has pretty eyes, though.

Without turning her head, Tiger surreptitiously tried to get another look at them, but the caramel-haired gentleman's gaze was occupied by the phone he now held in his palm. So much for that.

Above, the Prince had parted ways with his father and was trotting down the steps. Though the staircase was wide enough to support a standing army, and there was no chance of collision with the royal heir, Tiger took a few steps back to give him the entire rise and bowed her head as he passed. She greeted him with what she hoped was a convincingly stoic, “Your Highness,” and placed her fist over her heart. She needn't have bothered, though. There was no sign that the young man had heard her at all as he hopped in the car. His companions followed suit, including the pretty-eyed one who spared the solitary Glaive a final glance as he slid into the back seat and closed the door.

The sedan drove off, following the paved roundabout towards the gate farthest from the Citadel. Tiger's gaze drifted back to the man with the cane who still stood on the stairs. Where before she saw a King in command of unimaginable power, she now saw a father with a face full of worry. He stared after his departing son as if he thought he'd never see him again.

She recalled the faces of her parents on the day she left for Insomnia. It was her mother who had looked after her that way; her eyes were full of worry while her father beamed with pride. They were the reason she was here. They were the reason she had taken this oath.

They were the reason she made her decision at last.

Tiger took a deep breath and unlocked her phone.

#FFXV #Fanfiction #Ignis Scientia #Kingsglaive #OC #Fluff #Backstory #My Writing #This Chapter kinda got away from me

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