10 years later

"Silvy."

"Yeah?"

"Remember when the sun was gone?"

It was a relatively quiet afternoon, the crisp air flowing throughout the home and refreshing all who inhaled it. Two children sat at an elaborately engraved wooden table, off in individual activities but still linked to the same space.

The young boy rearranged the cactuar figurines, "Duh, it just came back a few months ago."

"Don't be mean!" She pouted, flipping another page of her book. "It was just a question..."

He bit his lip, "Okay… so why'd you ask?"

"'Cause… don'tcha think it's weird that it was there and then gone? Like mom and dad said they'd seen it… like before it went." She played with her hair, "How did the plants grow?"

"Maybe they... died."

She shrugged, "That's too easy."

"Well..." The young boy looked conflicted, then his eyes lit up. "What I thought was cool… was how you saw the sun first!" The boy exclaimed, accidentally knocking over the figures. "Before everybody…"

"That's more weird than cool." She mumbled.

"Dad said you should take pride in being the Oracle!" The boy threw his hands up, a beaming smile on his face. "You're like the youngest in history!"

She shook her head, "I'm not even Oracle yet… and I don't wanna be. It's just weird."

Knock knock.

Both their eyes looked towards the source of the sound and it belonged to a tall man. His hair was settled into a neat band with the rest out of sight and falling down his back.

"Hey, Silve go find your mother and get ready."

Silvestre grinned, sliding out of his chair and bolting for Ravus and glued his arms to his father's side. "Hi, dad!" He exclaimed, swaying side to side. "Come down here!"

Ravus raised his eyebrows and crouched down, "What is it?"

"Lumie's feeling bad about being Oracle again..." Silvestre whispered, glancing over at his scowling sister. "Can you please cheer her up? Like last time."

"Of course I can and thank you for being such a great brother to your sister." Ravus smiled, messing up his child's hair. "Now go on, we're leaving soon, okay? Don't forget anything."

Silvestre laughed, "I won't!" And with a sprint, he wasn't seen again, but of course after bumping into several furniture pieces, Ravus heard him.

I told him not to run in the house…, he thought.

"I'll go get ready," the girl said.

Ravus sat down beside her, "Not yet."

"What?" She grumbled.

"What's this I hear about you being sad abou—"

She shook her head, "Stop. You always know before Silvy tells you! Then you come in and act like you don't. I hate that… try something different this time." Dumping her head in her arms, she kicked aimlessly under the table unaware her plan to make him leave hadn't worked.

"How couldn't I know? You're my child, Lume. It'd be worse if I couldn't tell."

"I don't care," Lumen sighed. She was quiet, Ravus seeming to emulate her behavior, until she spoke.

"Why do I have to become Oracle?" Her words were far too solemn for a child her age. "Something bad always happens to them. The last two died."

Ravus grimaced at the mention but did away with the expression. He pinched her cheek, creating a goofy, lopsided smile. "You should see your face!"

"Dad! I'm serious."

"And far too often," Ravus laughed, her stern look contrasting greatly with her forced smile.

Lumen rolled her eyes, swatting his hands away. "I wish I wasn't born."

"Now, Lumen..." Ravus started, absentmindedly playing with the cactuar figurines. "Becoming Oracle isn't a curse, I told you that."

Lumen blew a strand of hair out of her face, "And mom said that people lie."

"She's right, but we wouldn't lie to you." Ravus responded.

"But you just did! If it's not a curse, then why did the last two die?"

Ravus smiled, a chance he took to stifle his sadness. He remembered what it was like to be a child, to be recklessly careless with words and their effect and he never stopped to imagine what it was like to be in the parent chair.

"They died protecting others." Ravus leaned back in his chair. "Not because of a curse."

Lumen's deep blue eyes softened and she sat up, "What were they protecting?"

"What they loved. That's what one usually protects," Ravus glanced at her. "I'd die for you."

"Don't say that!"

Ravus laughed, "But it's true. My mother… she died protecting me and my sister and Luna died protecting..." he grit his teeth, an ashamed grin forming.

"Dad!" She gripped his arm, swinging it back and forth. "I don't want you to be sad."

Ravus tapped her on the bulb of her nose, "Thank you, Lumie. I want you to see that becoming Oracle isn't a curse… why would the Astrals curse you? Have you done something to offend them?"

"No..." Lumen mumbled. "It just seems scary… it's a big deal, right? When I mess up at school, I feel like everyone's laughing at me and I don't want anyone to laugh at me anymore."

Ravus looked at her squarely, then offered her a chalky chuckle. "See? I laughed at you."

"That's not the same thing."

"I thought it'd make you laugh."

Lumen shook her head, "Dad, your jokes are better."

"My point is regardless of the reason, people are going to laugh at you… so why care? It may seem like everything now, but it's nothing outside of school… and outside of being Oracle. Anyone who dares to mock you, mocks the Astrals. That's not a position I'd like to be in."

Lumen looked at him curiously, "Mocks the Astrals?"

"Bahamut, specifically. He's the one who granted the power to the first Oracle..." he adjusted her hair, "so if anyone has a problem with your being the Oracle, they'll have to take it up with him."

Lumen's eyes widened, "Really? That's… that's cool!"

"It's not so bad after all, huh?"

"What's not so bad?"

Ravus looked over his shoulder to find a dragoon with sharp eyes. "I didn't know you were joining us."

"Better to arrive together, than trying to find you guys in the crowd." Aranea replied. "Saves both of us a lot of time."

Lumen was instantly on the lady, "Auntie Nae!"

"I said I liked Naenae better," the dragoon replied, hugging the young girl. "How ya been, Lulu?"

"Good! How are you?"

Aranea laughed, "I'd be better if your mom hurried up." The sound of an object hitting the ground was heard and loud footsteps heading towards her spot. "Oh, I wonder who that was."

"He doesn't take too well to the 'no running' rule," Ravus muttered, rising from his chair. "Something about his mother doing it, so he does it too."

"You've gotta admit, it is fun to break the ru—"

"Naenae!" Silvestre boomed, knocking the dragoon to the ground. "I knew it was you! What did you bring today? Is it for me? Or is it for Lumie?" His eyes narrowed at the thought. "I've been good! I deserve the present more than her!"

Lumen threw one of his cactuar figurines at him, "Hey! You got in trouble yesterday!"

"So? You just threw something in the house! You're not allowed to do that."

"He's right." Amara threw a plushie at Lumen, "Stop throwing things in the house, Lumie."

Lumen hugged the stuffed monkey, "You found Momo! Thanks, mommy."

"What took you so long? The festival's almost about to start." Aranea said, flicking Amara's forehead.

"I was looking for her plushie!" Amara exclaimed, twirling Silvestre around. "She wanted to bring him out to see the food."

Aranea pet the plushie, "Ah… and what a handsome thing Momo is."

"Mhm!" Lumen beamed, her hand darting to hit Silvestre's arm. "Tag, you're it!"

"You won't get too far!" Silvestre ran after his sister and out of sight.

"Either they'll learn the hard way to stop running… or learn the hard way," Ravus sighed.

Amara giggled, "Lumen's incident with the door doesn't count?"

"Oh, that was terrible." Ravus stood up and wrapped an arm around Amara, pecking her cheek.

"At least that's tame…" the dragoon grimaced at the kiss, "compared to what you guys do all the time." Aranea muttered.

Amara tilted her head, "Like you and Gladio?"

"Touche." Aranea smirked. "Come on, I'm hungry and the skewers are the first thing I wanna eat."

"If that's the case, then we won't get any." Ravus frowned.

Amara gripped his cheek and pulled it up and down, "She said she wouldn't do that again. Right, Aranea?"

"And you believe her?" Ravus asked.

"No promises, this is the Taste of Lestallum festival and that means spices and grilled food galore," the dragoon sang. "Let's get going before your kids get lost… and on this estate it's too easy."

"That's not our fault!" Amara laughed, leading Ravus out the room.

Aranea shot a humored look over her shoulder, "Like you two didn't choose this place."

"Well… I guess it is." Amara replied.

"You think Lume will at least try a vegetable this time?" Ravus asked.

Amara gave him a look, "Will you?"

"None of you eat vegetables… let's not pretend like Lulu and Silvy would either," Aranea went on. "Besides, the veggies are not the focus of the festival. Don't even talk about them." The dragoon opened the door and found Silvestre and Lumen still chasing after each other.

"Are we leaving now?" Lumen called, landing play punches on her twin.

Silvestre fended them off, "You missed me!"

"Yeah, we are!" Amara called, breaking into a jog, "Come on, I'll beat you there!"

Ravus and Aranea followed after, "Not if we get there first!"

They ran off across the grass with tense legs and tight smiles, scorching throats and begging lungs, with each breath more valued than the last.