The Burden of a Choice

"Hey, you alright?"

The young prince held his gaze downward, dichromatic eyes refusing to meet his father's own blue. He heard rustling beside him and didn't need to look to know that his father's worried gaze still fell on his own prone form. Alex tightened his grip on the fishing pole, mind seemingly not aware of the catch he just obtained at the end of the line. Noctis helped him pull the line but both father and son knew that the fish was a lost cause.

Alex sighed, bringing the pole down as he finally turned to face his father.

"Hey. So uh, your mom told me that you and Priam had a little scuffle?"

"It's nothing, dad."

"All the Glaives heard the argument from a twenty meter radius."

"It's fine--"

"Alex."

The boy winced at the tone, grimace forming on his face. Noctis waited patiently for his son to open up and collect his thoughts, silence forming between the two.

"It's about... something confusing...? I don't really know how to explain it, the Astrals made it all seem confusing."

"And probably for a good reason." Noctis adjusted himself a bit before continuing, "Look, whatever it is that happened is eating you alive... and not just you, but the rest of your friends as well."

Alex's eyes widened a bit, trying to stand up in panic. Noctis held his shoulder, trying to calm his son down and to keep him seated.

"Is Ori--"

"She's fine. Shaken but your aunt and uncle have been pampering her to calm her down."

Alex stayed quiet at that, before recalling another matter.

"Then, is Cal... what is he--Aunt Nix and Uncle Loqi--"

"Slow down, champ." The king tried to smile awkwardly to reassure him. "They've all settled in. I'm not sure about you though." Alex winced, trying to play off the panic with residual anger instead.

"Dad, this is serious! You don't understand--"

"Then make me understand."

"I--I can't, okay!?"

Alex broke down, his voice hitched in a few places as he closed his eyes, the real past flowing through his mind's eye. Ten years of darkness, the death of his Uncle Ravus, Uncle Loqi, and Aunt Nix, Uncle Shi and Prompto being held captive, Aunt Io and Uncle Ignis' injuries, his mother's sacrifice--

"We'll never be the same again, dad. There's just too much..." His voice barely comes out as a whisper. Noct patted him, trying his best to comfort Alex out of whatever horrifying experience he saw in his mind.

"Can you at least tell me why?"

Another set of memories flowed in; A happier future, his Uncle Ignis' sacrifice healed by his dad along with Aunt Io's stab wound from that blasted Ardyn, Aunt Nix and Uncle Loqi's suicidal daemon hunt no longer existing, Uncle Shi and Prompto going through the MT facility unburdened and supported by their friends, his mother's lovely and very much alive face--

"I... I was forced to choose... to... burden everyone... in exchange for this." Alex held out his calloused hands, staring at them for a while. Once more, his mind went back to that very decision, the turnpoint of their journey. Cal, at that point, had now joined back to their group as heartfelt tears and hugs enveloped them. The series of events and actions he took seemingly made everything worst but in culmination, gave all of them the possibility of an alternate option.

However, one misunderstanding and a whole set of problems faced by their parents are fixed, in exchange for a decision he might regret for the rest of his life.

Alex remembers standing among everyone, his young father by his side and everyone else nearly huddling the royal advisor and his family. The crystal stood infront of everyone, all in it's glowing glory when it began cracking. A line began to split the two in half quickly breaking the huge stone into two. Everyone stood in silence, not understanding what is going on.

"T-The crystal--"

"What...!"

"How can this be..."

He hears Cal's voice blaming himself as Ori and Caelum calm him down. Reggie stood by his side whimpering and Elliot was still knocked out from the sleeping gas that a daemon placed on him earlier. Alex's eyes widened, knowing the implications of such actions.

Before he could get a word in, time seemingly stopped in a light blue haze. A shining bright light emerged infront of him, making his cover his eyes with his arms. As the light faded away, he is surrounded by five of the Astrals his father has formed a covenant with.

"O Young Prince, the strands of time lay whispers of your deeds. The future, bleak with hopelessness and despair."

The sound was loud and made Alex want to cover his ears. Surprisingly, he understood the words well.

"Unexpected precedents have overstayed your trials. The darkness plague has been purged, yet the future remains to be riddled with destruction.

"As Our covenant stays with the Chosen, We cannot lay claim and cleanse your errors, not without a price."

Alex stood still, the Astral's heavy words spinning in his head.

"Your trial has ended and has been judged by Us."

Alex looked around focusing on each Astral, his blue and purple eyes stopping on the once messenger of the Oracle. She smiled sadly, as her eyes opened before her true form lay bare infront of his eyes. She stepped forward, a thin sheet of ice covering the floor and stood straight before the young prince.

"You have all passed. We deemed you worthy to carry on the blood. However, your errors have yet to be straightened. You must choose, young prince."

"C-Choose?"

"The consequences of your actions in the past have given your predecessors a path anew. Such is the machinations of your own chosen path." Shiva paused, as her eyes stare directly at the young successor.

"The crystal lays bare and broken. Your parents, through your influence, have chosen to master their own fates. As such, the battle against the Usurper from your meddling increased the stakes, such that his defeat bore more repercussions and possibilities."

"Does it mean... we changed the future? Will the prophecy..." Alex trailed off, knowing such price of what his father and his own set of friends chose, in exchange for his life spared. He died... but was brought back.

Alex wanted to prevent such fate, knowing how much they've all suffered for a bright future.

"Child, prophecies were always meant to guide but not always fulfill." the raspy voice of an Astral (Ramuh, his mind supplied) broke his thoughts, seemingly amused at his inquiries. Determined, Alex asked the Glacian, his heart beating rapidly at the thought of asking a favor from the gods.

"Is there... a way to fix the crystal?"

"There is a way, but the price must be met."

"W-What do we need to do?" Alex braced himself, knowing that dealing with gods never really ended well for anyone. Just the thought of his father's covenant and what it entailed made him gulp, including the Oracle's own sacrifice and suffering.

"Young prince, heed my word, the blood of the Chosen shall be spared, the Oracle's line persists, and the Scourge cleansed by their hands. A future brighter than dawn yet darker than the abyss. The price of the unsettled blood shall be in your hands. Upon the setting sun, you shall hear their cries, come morning, and they shall tire. Those who's blood have been sacrificed by the Scourge will not rest until the blood of your line has ceased."

Alex paled, realizing the severity of the price. Daemons will forever call onto him during the night, his sleeping moments plagued with horrible nightmares. Shiva rested before continuing on.

"Neither you nor your followers will forget. As day grows to night and night rises to day, your minds would be burdened with the knowledge of what might have become, of a future that could have been... Darkness' blight rose, spreading itself for pain and destruction. All those who have perished shall call out for you, despite of the future you have chosen. None shall be spared, as the king who led his followers to battle, they too shall pay the same heavy burden."

"No! I-I can't let them-- Why can't it only be me!? I'm responsible for--"

"The price of your actions are set in stone. It cannot be undone."

Bahamut spoke, his loud echoing voice startled the king's son. Alex stood still, hesitance and guilt forming in his face. Damn the world, or damn his friends? The choice swarmed in his head. Hoping for some revelation, he looked back at the still images of his friends.

Oriana's eyes were filled with relief and unwavering determination, despite the shock on her face at the broken crystal. Cal's eyes gazed down, doubt and self-loathing were reflected in those silver orbs. Caelum has his mouth open, probably in mid-sentence but his usual stoic face had a gentle tone to it, as if he never blamed Cal for anything.

He knows that if they're here with him, they would choose the same. More than anything else, he knows how they would do anything to protect the bright future their parents saved. Closing his eyes, he asked forgiveness for damning them all as he faced the gods once again.

"I choose--"

Alex shook his head, the awful memory finally leaving him before turning to his dad. He wonders how many times had he made hard decisions like he did. How many times had he damned his friend for the sake of the kingdom--in Alex's case, the world. How can he live with himself whenever he sees the scared looks of Reggie and Elliot, the circles around Cal's and Caelum's sleepless face, and the crying face of Ori?

"H-How do you know... if you made the right decision?"

Noctis sat in silence before smiling at his son's lost look. He ruffled the spiky fringe of his raven hair before answering.

"You know... a wise man once told me some valuable advice, and I think you need to hear it." Noctis cleared his throat before continuing. 

"So listen well... 'a king cannot lead while standing still. A king pushes forward always, accepting the consequences and never looking back.'"

Alex breath deeply, all the consequences of his decision flashing quickly. He looks at his father's adoring eyes and sees the wisdom and pain in it. Alex knew that his father had to make the same harsh decisions, the ones that would haunt him forever. He sees love, compassion, hope, but never regret.

Tears formed on the corner of his eyes as he wipes them away quickly with the sleeve of his shirt.

Et nocte perpetua,

"Dad... I--"

'I'm sorry, I failed. I failed everyone, how can you look at me like that?' His mind screams at him. Despite all that, his father's (or was it his grandfather's? Perhaps it's even Uncle Ignis', knowing how smart he is) words echoing in his head.

Once more, the desperate future flashed by, as his father's agonized look appeared before him. The old sorrow and pain reflected in his eyes as he held the hand of his recently deceased wife--

In desperatione

"I get it now." Alex stood straight, heart heavy but with a new purpose. He can't keep on wallowing in guilt and asking the what-ifs. Just as his parents had their own trials, this is his own. And like them, he will over come it as well.

Besides, Alex thinks that despite the heavy burdened placed on their shoulders, seeing their parents' hard earned smile and carefree days would erase any illusion and memory of the once-future he remembered.

Alex knows that his friends thought the same.

Auroram videre potest

"Right, well I should get back. Iggy might be calling on the Glaives now to look for me."

As soon as he said that, the father and son heard a large commotion from the outskirts of the lake they were fishing on. The king sighed, finally realizing that he overstayed his welcome.

"Thanks, dad." Alex waved at his father's back as the older man raised his hand in acknowledgement.

'We've walked tall, just as you guys have.'

Mane tempus expergiscendi.