Back to where it all began

Fayden sighed. The early morning chill gave his breath a white hue.

He had gotten up before anyone else and was patrolling the area. In actuality, that was just an excuse to take his mind off the dream he had just had.

He looked up at the snow slowly drifting down without a single care in the world.

"I really should contact him…"

"Contact who?" Tessia's voice coming from behind him almost made him jump.

He turned to look at her yawning. "How the fuck did you sneak up on me?"

Tessia raised an eyebrow, "I didn't, you were just too occupied with your thoughts to notice."

Fayden cursed under his breath. "Why're you awake so early anyway?"

Tessia shrugged, "I had some work I wanted to finish before I went back home."

"You're going too?" he inquired as they settled into a comfortable pace.

"Were you planning on going without me?"

"How'd you even know I was going?" Fayden asked. As far as he knew, only his parents and grandfather knew about it. As well as Lance Alea, but she had no reason to tell her about it.

"Gramps visited last night, he told me about how you interrupted their meeting claiming that you killed a retailer?" Tessia explained.

"Retainer," Fayden corrected, "and of course he did."

"Ah, I was worried you just barged into a random shop and decided you would commit a homicide." Tessia sounded relieved when it turned out her brother wasn't a senseless butcher.

"Do you have that little faith in me?" Fayden asked, mock hurt lacing his words.

"I told you that won't work on me anymore." Tessia deadpanned.

Fayden chuckled, "Force of habit."

Tessia sighed, "Of course it is."

"Oh yeah, Arthur's coming with us too," Fayden blurted out.

"A-Arthur?" Tessia's face flushed a pink hue. "He's coming with us?"

"Congratulations, you just repeated exactly what I said." Fayden deadpanned.

"He didn't tell me anything about it…"

"Of course, he doesn't know he's coming with us yet." Fayden said casually.

"So you're just assuming he'll agree." Tessia stared at him neutrally.

"I'll just drag him with me if he doesn't."

Tessia promptly kicked his shin, but it lacked the force it used to have. It seemed she still had a ways to go.

Fayden chuckled, "Good luck on your work. I'll see you in Elenoir."

With that said, he walked away.

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A knock resounded from the main door of the Helstea Mansion.

"Coming!" The unmistakable motherly voice of Alice came from the other side as footsteps got closer, and the door opened.

"Who-" She froze upon seeing a familiar elf boy on the other side.

"Sup, Aunt Alice," he said weakly. Arthur's stories about how scary she could be echoing in his ears.

"You have some explaining to do, young man!" Alice placed her fists at her waist, somehow more imposing than the retainer had ever been.

Fayden sighed, deciding a half truth wouldn't hurt. "One of the Elven Lances called for help and I was the closest."

Alice's anger evaporated to worry. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, you don't need to worry. With the two of us, it was light work." Fayden waved her worries away. "I'm actually here to borrow Arthur for a bit."

"Ah, yes. Come in." Alice opened the door, stepping inside to allow Fayden to come in.

Fayden, however, shook his head, "I'm only here to talk about a few things, I need to get back to Zestier after this."

Alice reluctantly complied, leaving the door open as she went to call Arthur down.

"Mom said you wanted to talk to me?" Arthur said as he walked down the stairs.

Fayden nodded, turning away, silently beckoning him to follow.

Arthur, albeit confused, walked beside him.

"Are you free tomorrow?"

"Huh, why?"

Fayden glanced at him, "I'm sure you're curious about what happened with the Lance. I plan to tell my family everything that happened tomorrow, so if you're free you can come to the palace."

Arthur was indeed curious about the distress signal that had prompted Fayden to get up in the middle of the night but he had stayed silent, just in case things hadn't gone well.

"I'll be there," Arthur said resolutely. "Fayden, you know you don't have to shoulder this burden alone right?"

Fayden sighed, "I know, but I don't want to…"

He bit his tongue, he couldn't say anymore.

"Don't want to do what?"

'I don't want to ruin this new life you've come to enjoy.' Fayden wanted to say it, but he just couldn't.

Fayden shook his head. "Nevermind, just make sure to be there."

"Fayden-" Arthur was never able to finish that sentence as the older boy void stepped away.

Perhaps it was his reflexes, perhaps it was fate, perhaps it was sheer old luck itself, but Fayden ended up in the place he had first met Noctis in.

Fayden fell to his knees, his mind delving deep into his mana core where his Beast Will resided. The shadowy canine form of Noctis flashed past his mind.

And he called out.

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A man perked up in an area where the skies were a dim blue hue, it was as if it was perpetually twilight there.

His perfectly formed crimson eyes narrowed as a familiar voice reached his ears. It had been over a decade since he last heard that voice.

A phantom wind billowed, blowing his black bangs off his face. His low ponytail swayed behind him.

His face scrunched in displeasure, he did not like the nigh-hopeless tone in his protege's voice. What had happened out there that left him this shaken?

"Ah," he breathed out crisply, "that's why."

Unsheathing an ornate dagger from his waist, Noctis twirled it in his hands. "Be not afraid, O Fateless One, for your cries are not unheard."

The very veil of space cracked, the blade of the dagger somehow connecting two realities at one single point as a gate opened.

"The Vritra may be strong, but the Marchosias are superior."

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'Noctis, I don't know if you're listening, but if you are… I don't know what to do Noctis, it's been fifteen years since we met. I've grown by leaps and bounds in that time, but I don't know if it'll be enough.' Fayden's breath hitched; he hoped Noctis was listening.

'I'm lost Noctis, I know I'm strong enough to face a retainer, but a god?' Fayden scoffed, the very thought was absurd.

'War is coming to Dicathen, gods under the name of Vritra. I was lucky the retainer I fought had only one shadow based ability, and your Will was able to nullify it. I'm afraid if he had more skills in his arsenal, I might not have escaped unscathed.'

He breathed in deeply, 'You told me to call out to you if I ever needed Celestial Assistance, so here I am. I need to get stronger, strong enough to protect the people close to me. Because if I lose them again, I don't know what I would do.'

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Fayden stayed in the cave for a few more hours, taking the time to compose himself.

'Father..'

'He'll come. I know he will.' Fayden stood up. 'Let's go, we have an important day tomorrow.'

'...' Zeke didn't say anything else, even as the two left the dungeon for Zestier.

Fayden decided to stop a bit inside the main gates of the castle; it had been a while since he had walked the halls of his home.

He sighed wistfully, "I'm home."

"My, my, did you miss the palace so much?" A criminally seductive voice resounded from right beside his ear.

Fayden sighed. "Sup Aya, it's been a while."

He heard her laughter behind him, but he could sense no one there. Then, someone tapped his shoulder.

He reacted instantly, Void Stepping away and summoning Void Edge to his hand. Anyone who could bypass his senses had to be at least a white core mage.

But the only one behind him was his longtime companion and friend.

"Aya?" He 'sheathed' his weapon. "The fact that I couldn't sense you behind me only means…"

Aya grinned pridefully, "I am a white core mage now."

Fayden chuckled, walking closer to her, "I'm glad to hear that, especially now…"

"I heard how you saved Alea in the dungeon; she told me you fought off a retainer almost effortlessly." The pride never left her voice. "You've grown stronger since last time."

Fayden shook his head, "If it was any other retainer, I would be hard pressed to come out unscathed. As it stands, this particular retainer's primary skill set was shadow-based. As such, my Will was a hard counter to his."

Aya sighed, "You should take more pride in your achievements. Luck or not, you killed a retainer."

"And end up like you?"

"There's nothing wrong with this," Aya spread her arms, looking down at her body, "Perhaps you would like to test that out."

Fayden chuckled, "Maybe sometime later."

"So you're considering it?" Aya said suggestively, pushing her chest forward.

"I'd have to be an idiot not to." Fayden shrugged. "You're a good friend, and I'm sure I'm going to regret saying this, but you are attractive."

'But I'm never going to pull through on that. You deserve someone better, Aya. You deserve a better man.' But Fayden didn't dare voice that out.

"But we have a war to prepare for now, matters such as these can come lat-" Fayden's voice was cut short as a soft sensation washed over his lips.

He was too shocked to protest when Aya's tongue pushed through into his mouth, pulling him into a french kiss.

A string of saliva connected their lips as they separated.

"Until that time comes, I'll settle for a few kisses every now and then."

Fayden blinked. "Yeah, I think I'll be going to my room."

Without waiting for a confirmation, he disappeared in a flash of black.

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'That was…'

'A mistake Zeke, that was a mistake.'

'Father-'

'Zeke, you know my opinion on love.'

'Why? Because of your actions in your past life?'

'Yes, exactly because of that.' Fayden rounded on him. 'The things I did as Markus-'

'-no longer matter in this life.' Zeke was calm in contrast to Fayden's outburst. 'I've seen some of your memories. And while some of your actions were truly horrible, you've gotten a second chance in life for a reason. Do not shackle yourself with your past deeds; you are Fayden, not Markus. Let your actions in this life define who you are, not the deeds done by Markus.'

'I can't just erase my history, and even if I do, my conscience won't allow me to.'

Fayden sighed, 'Go to sleep Zeke, thoughts about enjoying my new life went out the window as soon as I learned of the Vritra.'

'The war will not go on forever. You can-'

'I can wait until the war ends for such decisions; if I survive, that is.' Fayden shot back, his patience running thin once again.

'Why are you so pessimistic?'

'Hah, in a war, the line between pessimism and realism begins to blur.'

'You never should've been told about the war, all it did was scare you. You're too afraid of the possibilities of a war to thin-

"OF COURSE I'M SCARED, ZEKE!" Fayden exploded, yelling out physically. "I'm fucking terrified. War isn't a joke, Zeke, people will die. Hell, I wouldn't be surprised if I died. But I can't let that happen, I can't let the people close to me die. I can't lose them again…"

"Father…" Zeke began, but was interrupted by someone at my door, someone I failed to notice.

"Again? What do you mean again?"

I cursed under my breath.