Summary: Takes place on the "reset" timeline: fantheory suggests that after you defeat Ardyn you reset the timeline so he does not exist. (Evidenced by an ending cutscene that had the dialogue from the very beginning of the game suggesting the timeline resets to a history without Ardyn) This story takes place on that timeline. The starscourge and empire still existed.

Noctis wants to bring a piece of Tenebrae back home to Lucis for Lunafreya. He enlists the help of his friends to plan a trip to his queen's homeland in hopes of bringing back sylleblossum seeds for the garden she loves so much.

King Noctis looked through the window of his study that overlooked the gardens. His queen, Lady Lunafreya, was reading in the chair he had a carpenter come build for her so she could more comfortably spend time in her favorite spot. She would spend much of her time there; when she was not amongst the people helping to heal them, with Noctis, or tending to matters of state. It was also where she preferred to receive citizens coming to see the Oracle on the days she was not already out amongst them.

"You called, sir?" Noctis turned and saw Ignis Scientia standing in the doorway.

"How many times do I have to tell you Iggy, call me Noctis. It's weird when you call me sir," He replied, and knew by the smirk on his friend's face he had done it intentionally to taunt him. "But yeah, I did. Sit down," He called, and watched the blind man make his way to the table near the window. He took care to make sure never to move the furniture in the study to keep the surroundings familiar, and the man moved with ease to take a seat.

"What's on your mind?" Ignis asked as he sat down,

"I need you to help me come up with a good excuse to visit Tenebrae. Luna always loved sylleblossums, and I have none in the garden, I want to get seeds so I can plant some. I'll need your help to learn how to make them grow... Lucis is a lot warmer than Tenebrae. I also wanted your help to get her some new books... She reads a lot, but she doesn't have any stories from home," Noctis explained, glancing at the gardens once more. "I'm King now. I can't just run off on an adventure on a whim. Plus... I think Luna would like a visit to her old home, and I'd have a good reason to hang with the old gang again." He carried on. He heard Ignis hum, deep in thought; the man rubbed at his chin like he always did when the cogs of his mind were spinning.

"Have you ever paid your respects to late members of the Fleuret family? Or has the Lady Lunafreya had the chance to say goodbye to her brother?" Noctis would have reminded Ignis that Lunafreya also hated being addressed so formally by one so close to them, had the suggestion not suddenly panged Noctis with a deep aching guilt. He had mourned for his own father, erecting a royal tomb to properly bury the late king, and let himself mourn in full. Had Luna had the chance to do that for her brother? Noctis had hated Ravus, and oft forgot that he was her family. Seven months, and he had never given her the chance to find the peace he had let himself find.

"I..." He paused, biting his lip. "No I haven't. And I don't think she has. Wow... I am a pretty terrible person," He lamented.

"You'll grow up one day," Ignis taunted, waving a hand dismissively. "But I think paying your respects to Ravus Fleuret would be the perfect reason to visit Tenebrae. I will help you draft a letter to King Tiberius requesting he receive you, and ensure there are no pressing matters to attend to before we go gallivanting off. I'll need to see the Regalia cleaned and well guarded, your ship ready at the port in Cape Caem, make sure your Kingsguard is ready to escort the royal family," the man broke into a tangent of tasks that made this short vacation sound as complicated as taking down the empire had been. Tiberius Veritas Fleuret was Luna's cousin, last of the Fleuret line until he produced an heir. The man had seemed kind enough during negotiations for a new treaty, after the empire had violated the previous one. He hoped he would be happy to welcome the Lucian royalty again so soon.

"When do you think we can leave?" Noctis asked, already feeling impatient. He was relieved Ignis had been so receptive to his suggestion of a trip to Tenebrae, worried that he was going to chide him for not focusing more on his Kingdom. He was looking forward to the smile he hoped to see on Luna's face when he told her about the trip he was planning. He hoped she would be excited at the suggestion, and recalled the sprawling field of blue flowers behind her home; where she would push his wheelchair on a cobbled path, telling him stories, or listening to him carry on about whatever stupid topic had come to his childish mind.

"I need to make sure there aren't other pressing matters that need attending to first. I can tell you later today when an ideal time to go would be. Would you like me to send for the Lady Lunafreya?"

"Call her Luna," Noctis corrected this time.

"Luna, then,"

"No. I'll go down to the garden to see her. But... don't tell her my plans for the sylleblossums. Or the books. I... want that to be a surprise," He explained, feeling the heat in his cheeks. He knew if Gladiolus or Prompto caught the scent of any romantic behavior on his behalf the taunting would be one for the history books. He could hardly hold his wife's hand without their innuendo and smirking.

"Any special occasion?" Ignis inquired, curious as to what was putting the King into such a giving mood. Noctis mulled over this question, grasping for an excuse to cover his behavior with a more valid reason than 'just because' but failed to find one. Her birthday, their anniversary, and any major holidays were months away.

"I just thought it would be nice," He replied.

"Your secret is safe with me," Noctis was expecting to have to tell Ignis not to call him your majesty but the formal title never came and Ignis excused himself to attend to the task as promised. Noctis looked out the window again to ensure Luna was still in the garden before making his way through the winding halls.

"What're you reading?" Noctis asked, as he came within speaking distance of the distracted queen. She let out a startled shout, turning quickly to face him,

"Noct!" she chided, "don't scare me like that!" she was rarely out of her perpetually calm demeanor, and he was nearly the only person with the honor of getting to see her with the guard down.

"Sorry," he apologized, chuckling a little. "Guess I need to start wearing a bell like Pyrna or Umbra," He added, "come when called, sit on command," he scratched at his chin, thumbing at the stubble he had allowed to grow at her request. "Guess I could get used to you scratching behind my ears and rubbing my belly though,"

"Very funny," she replied, but he saw the smile she was failing to hide. "it's an old legend of a living mountain, a grand tortoise who could eat entire towns, and those who sought to stop it," she explained. She pondered briefly if the scourge had ever transformed the landscape itself during a particularly close pass of the once befouled moon.

"Is that from my father's library?" He asked her. He couldn't yet refer to it as his, or even their library, his father had spent so many years collecting books that it felt like trying to take credit for his father's hard work. It would always be Regis's library. Noctis had even erected a plaque dictating such so any visitors to the citadel would at least have a glimpse of the great man whose shoes he could never fill.

"Yes. It's quite good. I think even you would like it," she offered. Noctis had never been one for reading, much to Ignis's chagrin. Like eating vegetables the man had been desperate to get Noctis to get his head out of the clouds and read a book once in a while. He acknowledged her suggestion, and brought up his own,

"What would you think about visiting Tenebrae?" He asked, and smiled when her posture relaxed and a smile spread her cheeks, tugging the corners of her eyes,

"I haven't been home in so long..." she answered. She wasn't able to join Noctis when he was negotiating with her cousin over the terms of their renewed engagement. The last she saw of her homeland was under the fist, sometimes quite literally, of the empire.

"We can run around the sylleblossum fields, since I won't be in a wheelchair this time. You always wanted to run around the flowers with me," he smiled at the bittersweet memory. Of being trapped in a chair, but just glad for her company as they sat outside together, guarded by Gentiana. Luna talking about the day he would be strong enough they could run and play tag together. I'd be the one who couldn't keep up with you this time, Luna thought bitterly to herself. The covenants with the Astrals to purge their world of the scourge had taken it's toll on her, as the Ring of the Lucii still did for her dearest Noct. Her King always treated her as his equal, knowing how she hated being handled like a porcelain doll. She wasn't even sure she would have the strength to run. It was why she spent so much time in the garden. Why she was always sitting in a chair with a book in her lap.

"You still remember that?" She replied, after an almost awkwardly long silence.

"I remember all our time together..." He answered honestly. He may have been a child, but his time with her had been some of his fondest memories. The basis for the affection that blossomed into love over the years of their secret correspondence. "Do you remember it?"

"Of course." She smiled, slipping a thin tassel into her book before standing, putting the book onto her chair. "Are we really going to Tenebrae?" She asked,

"Ignis is making sure there aren't any serious pressing matters we have to attend to first. But yes... he's going to help me write a letter to King Tiberius. Though I'm sure at the mention of your name he'd gladly let us visit. No one seems to say no to the great Orcale, Lady Lunafreya," He teased her with the title, and chuckled at the way she wrinkled her nose at him. "They'd have to be very bold"

"They call her that again and see how bold they still feel," She replied, and her King laughed, leaning forward, tilting his head to meet her lips in a gentle kiss.

**.**

Noctis was in his study, reluctantly reading through what felt like endless documents about taxes, movements at what remained of the Niflheim border, the ongoing resettlement of war refugees, the rebuilding of shattered cities across Eos, and other matters which required his constant attention. He sighed, leaning back in his chair, letting the front chair legs tilt up as he put his feet up on the desk. Ignis will kill me if he walks in on me like this, he thought. He wondered what time his friend would return with news of when they could embark on this trip. Seeing the matters that needed him he wondered if he was being too selfish journeying to Tenebrae. Ignis told you, you're paying respects to Luna's brother. It's diplomatic. You just happen to want to enjoy a little relaxation time while you're there. And besides. You're doing it for her, not for yourself. He told himself. He wondered, not for the first time, what his father Regis would think of how he was fulfilling his duty as King.

"With Luna I banished the starscourge, repelled the empire, restored peace to Eos then forged my own alliance with Tenebrae," He began to amble, even though I had more motivation than a simple treaty with Tenebrae "What more can you want from me dad?" He asked the empty room. He looked down at the ring on the middle finger of his right hand. He closed his fist and his eyes, trying to will away the fatigue the power of the artifact caused. How did you maintain a whole wall around Insomnia? I can hardly bear simply wearing this thing. His eyes glanced to his left hand, where a simpler band of braided silver wrapped around his ring finger. When the burden of the Ring of the Lucii felt too much, tempted him to tear it off and hurl it as far as his arm could manage, he would see the wedding band Luna had placed onto his hand and remember the deep struggle she had endured to get this to him. The extreme sacrifice his father had made to get it to her, so she could fulfill her destiny as Oracle and inspire the King of Light to banish the Starscourge. To end the blight, together. He sighed, relaxing his hand and letting the chair settle back on the floor properly. King for less than a year and already I'm practically begging for an excuse to run from this Citadel.

He wondered how Luna could bear her burden with such dignity. She hid it, and she hid it well. But he could see how the burden of being the Oracle effected her. She could stand tall, even if much of the time her trident was supporting her like a cane. She would smile, even as the crimson circles around her eyes grew darker. She would visit town after town even as she grew thin, the strength in her body slowly fading. He wondered how long until he was the one pushing her in a wheelchair. Until she was the one struggling to stand and cursing aloud when her legs gave out. He hated their fates. He hated their burdens. How do you do it Luna? The covenants were over, the blight purged, but natural disease and injury would always plague mankind, and it was for that reason the Astrals deemed the Oracle to be their messenger. For not the first time he wished Gentiana would visit him, with her reassurances and knowledge. Why must we continue to suffer after everything we accomplished? What is it the Astrals know that means we still have to carry this with us. What future are you seeing that we're blind to? Ignis knocked at the door of his study, his steady and strong voice asking the King's permission to enter his study.

"Come on in, Iggy," He needed the levity of his friend. Not his adviser, member of his council, chief of his staff. He wanted Prompto's laughter and immature jokes, Gladiolus slapping his back and hurling inappropriate comments, Ignis's gentle insults and addictive cooking. He needed Luna's smile, her arms around him, her soothing voice whispering in his ear. "News?" He asked

"It seems the movement we saw at the Nif border was a false alarm. Someone mistook a refugee transport for a Nif ship. They had repurposed an old airship to carry people more effectively. Lucky they weren't shot out of the sky," Well that was certainly a load off.

"Yeah I saw the report of the movement on my desk, got a little worried there," He admitted. "But I meant about if we can go to Tenebrae anytime soon?"

"Everything here should be able to be handled by your council. We can draft a letter to King Tiberius and once we hear back from him we can make travel arrangements. I'll even make sure the Regalia and your ship are ready in the meantime, so there won't be any delays,"

"Make sure the boat and wherever we stay in Tenebrae has room for you, Gladio, Prompto, and Luna," Noctis asked, "We haven't all gotten to hang out in a while. I'd like the gang back together..." Ignis smiled, and sat in a chair across from Noctis,

"It'll be like old times again, we can even pitch out the old tents cook over a campfire if you're feeling especially nostalgic,"

"Ugh no thank you. I don't miss sleeping on the ground. Though, if you're offering, wouldn't complain about a good old fashioned Ignis feast. Wonder what kind if fish they have in Tenebrae? Maybe I can take Luna fishing and you can cook us up something?" Noctis suggested, feeling his mood already beginning to loosen.

"Didn't know the lady liked to fish," Ignis replied, a look of genuine surprise on his face.

"Sometimes I think she's just humoring me," he admitted. But being able to enjoy his favorite pastime, with her sitting at the docks with him, were always such contented days. She would bring a book and let her feet dangle into the water. They would talk, or she would read and they would remain in a silence that somehow never felt awkward. He remembered one especially memorable day when he'd pushed her into the water, only to have her return the favor on a subsequent trip. "But she never says no when I ask her to join me when I go fishing,"

"Better company than Prompto. He can't sit still for more than five minutes. He always hated when you wanted to make a pit stop to fish," Ignis chuckled,

"Or Gladio from the sidelines yelling at me, 'it needs more slack! The line won't hold!' You telling me to make sure I catch something edible, as of I was psychic and could tell what wanted to bite on my line," Noctis laughed. "You tell the guys yet about the trip?"

"Not yet, I'll give them a call shortly," He answered.

"Speaking of an old fashioned Ignis feast... would you be up for cooking dinner for everyone tonight?"

"Thinking about things?" Ignis asked. "You always seem to specifically request my cooking when you're not feeling your best," he continued. Damnit Iggy, you've always been able to read my moods like a book, even when you're friggin blind. Noctis flexed his hands, fighting back the bitter thoughts before he could get lost in them again.

"Yeah," He admitted. He wasn't quite ready to confide in Ignis everything he was thinking, and he knew his friend wouldn't push him until he was ready. "Should we get started on that letter?"