The Far Edge of Fate (Final Fantasy XV)

CHAPTER 21 - PAPER BIRD ON MY SHOULDER

sorry for the wait! hopefully this makes up for it :)

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The gray clouds festering in the sky felt oddly fitting to Aaralyn as she climbed the stairs up into one of Altissia's many shopping districts.

It felt like whiplash trying to pretend like everything was still normal after yesterday. She felt like she was in a trance, hardly able to focus between Ardyn's threats and the disturbing dream from last night. All she could think about was the enormous wings hidden in the clouds and the dark blotchy blood that stained Lunafreya's dress.

I cannot allow you to continue to interfere, Ardyn had said, as if Aaralyn was actively stepping on the toes of some cosmic plan the chancellor had. For all she knew about him and his motivations, maybe she was, but how did dooming people to a fate worse than literal death mean she was destroying a plan he had in the making? As far as she was concerned, her mysterious powers weren't actively hurting Ardyn, so why did he care?

Aaralyn paused in the middle of the street. Hadn't Ardyn said something along the lines of them being one and the same? He knew what she was because he was exactly the same, or at least that was her understanding of it. Did he think her to be a threat because of that?

But...if that was the case, why would she be a threat if she was the same as him?

Unless...she had something he didn't.

"Aaralyn!"

Her head jerked up. From between groups of tourists, she could make out Nyx, shuffling between people and headed her way. Aaralyn couldn't help but notice the ever-present bags under his eyes had worsened over the night. Apparently, she was not the only one who had struggled to get a good night's rest.

"Morning, kiddo," Nyx greeted her when he finally managed to catch up to her. He quirked a curious eyebrow. "What are you doing just standing in the middle of the street?"

Aaralyn glanced around, finding that she was, indeed, just standing in the middle of a busy street. People had started to step around her, shooting her dirty looks as they did so.

"Oh," she said, blandly. "I guess I just...got lost in thought."

"You alright?" Nyx furrowed his brow.

Aaralyn observed him for a moment, wondering how and even if she could begin to tell him everything that had happened last night. It felt like one gut punch after the other and she didn't even know if she could begin to unravel the mess her thoughts had become.

"Yeah," she said instead. "Just got a lot on my mind is all."

Nyx's expression immediately softened. "You and me both, kiddo," he said. "We'll do our damndest to keep her safe, alright?"

And while Nyx didn't know that was not Aaralyn's only worry now, she found herself smiling. Above all, his comfort always meant more to her than he would ever know.

"Yeah," she said. "We got this."

"C'mon, we need our uniforms," Nyx said, throwing an arm over her shoulders and tucking her to his side. "The princess said it was this way."

They made their way down to the shopping strip chatting idly the whole way. Lady Lunafreya was due to give her speech at noon tomorrow and as her self-appointed bodyguards during the rite, they were to stand up on the stage with her. It would be the easiest way to ensure they all made it to the Altar at the same time and, most importantly, without Imperial interference. As a result, however, they had to at least look presentable. Hence, Lunafreya sent in an urgent request for their old Kingsglaive uniforms as both Nyx and Aaralyn were making do with an odd hodgepodge of old gear and casual Kingsglaive attire. That wouldn't look very nice beside the Oracle herself.