Disclaimer: Final Fantasy does not belong to me. But this fic is written by me~

Xethear: Here it is everyone, the final chapter. Thanks again for sticking with Noct and Light's story in this adventure. Feel free to listen to some emotional soundtracks from the game and see if it heightens the experience! Also apologies ahead of time since the setting jumps around a bit in this chapter. I've put some indicators alongside the Paradigm Shifts so hopefully it's not too confusing. Enjoy!

Epilogue: It's about Time

"Light, hurry! The engine's been running on the airship and Sazh's chocobo is starting to get impatient!" Serah shouted through cupped hands aboard the airship's bridge. One hand held a suitcase prepared by the maids of Castle Tenebrae, whilst the other kept her rosy locks from frenzying in the gusts generated by the large aerial vehicle.

Lightning yawned as she stepped out onto the front steps of Caelum Manor with Noctis following close behind looking just as groggy. The party had spent the night before departure back to Bodhum (for the Guardian Corp crew to report back) celebrating Tenebrae's liberation from Niflheim and Noctis's informal ascension as XVth King of the kingdom.

Paradigm Shift

The castle was in complete disarray since King Regis's passing and Aldercapt's invasion so Ignis was up to his neck in paper work and a phone was always seen pinched between his cheek and shoulder the prior days before the celebration. Luckily, Rikku did her best to help out along with her trusty machina assistant Hope. Gladiolus, Fang, Cor and more Guardian Corp members were dispatched along with Tenebrae's royal army (who had been locked away in prisons) in order to drive away the remaining members of Niflheim's forces. Though there was a scuffle every now and then, most retreated due to the fact that their leader had fallen to Noctis and Lightning. With their chain of command in chaos their goal in mind had ultimately crumbled.

After a heated battle with Noel, Caius reluctantly ceded after discovering he was no longer being used as a tool by Aldercapt. The promised cure he was so intent on getting for Yeul was nothing more than a ploy utilized by the elderly snake. Though his pride was beaten and was determined to vanish for attacking his friends, Noel and Yeul still accepted him. He wasn't present during the festive activities of the party but rather was seen outside lounging on a tree branch with a smile on his face.

Noctis and Lightning were busy themselves as Tenebrae's people were curious as to what had become of the prince ever since his absence. The noble houses of Tenebrae had given Noctis earfuls about the happenings that occurred while he was away, but they had no justification for abandoning the kingdom in order to side with the Niflheim infiltrators. Lightning proposed to invoke the royal tradition of a sparring match (she discovered in texts in the library) against any of the nobles wishing to overthrow Noctis. It was the very same ritual Noctis had undergone and lost to Caius to as a preliminary test, a battle he was hungry to participate again. The nobles would select their champions to battle against Lightning else fight Noctis himself. Needless to say, even without her powers Lightning reigned triumphant and took it upon herself to claim a reward in the form of private time with Noctis in a secluded hallway. To which coincidentally Prompto came gallivanting around for some reason.

"I'M ALWAYS CATCHING YOU TWO DOING THESE THINGS!" He blurted out after catching the couple in one of their kissing sessions, only to be chased around by a very embarrassed and angry Lightning.

The night was filled with laughter and games drafted up by Serah, Prompto and a very elated Vanille to have her boyfriend smiling beside her once again. Lightning and Noctis found out that she refused to release him from her embrace the moment his eyes fluttered open and he winked at her.

"I can't believe it… a moment of reprieve." Ignis released an exasperated sigh as he collapsed onto the couch of the living room with his head buried into the cushion.

Rikku stumbled towards the same couch swaying back and forth which each step she took, her half lidded eyes ever so close to shutting. "I'm all worn out Igieee…" She managed to say before collapsing atop the man to nuzzle her face into his back. To which a muffled "good job today" could be heard from the exhausted secretary. Hope was already cuddled up with a pillow at the base of the couch.

Noctis sunk into his own armchair looking just as weary. "Really, I can't thank you three enough. I wouldn't have known where to start with all that paperwork. By the time I got done with one you three were finished with thirty."

Lightning sat on the armchair's armrest with one leg crossed over the other as she swirled a spoon inside a glass filled with a deep blue carbonated drink and star shaped fruit her sister had whipped up. After fishing out one of the stars with her spoon she took a bite and looked down at Noctis who was staring at the beverage looking mesmerized. "Glad to know this place will have a reliable king." She said sarcastically and poked the man against the cheek with her knuckle.

"Alright guys who's up for truth or dare?!" Prompto clad in a pointy wizard's hat shouted excitedly buzzing two party horns in his mouth. "What's that Noct? Dare?! Alrighty! I dare you to share a passionate, lovey-dovey, magnetically glued bodily kiss with Light for all to witness and—" Before he could finish however, the blond felt the gravity of Lightning's glare fall over him like a ton of bricks and instead finished with "I dare you… to dare Lightning to stop glaring at me."

Noctis managed to laugh and wrapped his arm around Lightning's waist before pulling her down towards him. "H-Hey!"

"You have to admit though…" He started as he pulled her into his lap and cuddled into her shoulder. "She looks irresistibly cute when she does that." He complimented boldly causing Lightning's face to flush red.

Serah instinctively swooned into Snow's arms causing Lightning to shift her glare to a new target. The man narrowly dodged the spoon the soldier hurled at him which frighteningly enough stuck to the wall like a knife.

"V-Very cute…" Snow shivered as he told a grinning Noctis.

"Oh get a room you two!" Vanille puffed out her cheeks and threw a blanket over the royal couple. "We can't stand to look at this anymore. Openly flirting now… you're making Fang jealous!" The redhead shouted causing the raven haired woman leaning on a stool to fall back and crash to the floor.

"Wha— speak for yourself Vanille!" Fang retaliated at her embarrassed friend. "Don't go pointing your fingers and projecting your feelings on whoever."

"Hmph!"

"I wasn't flirting! It was all this knucklehead!" Lightning flailed about from under the blanket and tugged the woolly cloth off her head and pointed at Noctis who was now discovered to have nodded off. A content smile was on his face as his chest steadily rose and fell. One of his arms was still wrapped around the star cadet. Lightning sighed and brushed loose strands of hair away from his face and felt the soft dark threads against the tips of her fingers.

"Aww… c'mon Noct! You can sleep tomorrow! We gotta celebrate tonight!" Prompto shouted excitedly as he leapt towards the armchair. The prince responded with a snore and Lightning shrugged her shoulders.

"It's no use. Just let him sleep." She told the hyperactive blond.

"Nuh uh!" Prompto said defiantly as he formed an "X" with his arms.

"I know how to wake him up~" Serah said as she walked up to the prince. She gave a wink at her sister before cupping her hands over her mouth to whisper something in Noctis's ear.

After about ten seconds of muffled words Noctis's eyes shot open as he shouted, "How much?!"

"We'll strike a deal after the party." Serah told this prince as she held a finger over her lips mouthing "shhh."

"Got it." The man said with a twinkle in his eye.

"Huh…" Prompto crossed his arms as he stared at Noctis and Lightning. "Never would've thought to see sparkles in Noct's eyes."

"He's changed a lot since coming to Bodhum and meeting Light huh?" Gladiolus added drawing Prompto's attention.

"We all have." Ignis said as he tucked Rikku in with a blanket. "But yes, especially his highness."

Prompto grinned, "Igie would you tuck me in bed too?"

"Mrrmf nooo…" Rikku mumbled softly. "That's mine and Igie's thing."

The embarrassed Ignis coughed into his hand and mumbled, "You heard the lady." Causing Prompto to snicker.

The three guardians watched as Noctis and Lightning continued to throw teasing words at one another with the prince gaining the advantage simply from observing facial expressions, that was until Lightning ran into the other room and returned with training swords.

"Match now!" She commanded her boyfriend as she tossed a sword to him.

"Time to even the score!"

Paradigm Shift

"So, what's the score now Light?" The prince asked as he escorted Lightning down the moonlit halls of Castle Tenebrae. Despite all the chaos that had been ensuing the past several days, Noctis was relieved and slightly surprised that the particular hallway they were walking was left unscathed.

"It's even." Lightning muttered somewhat bitterly as she scanned their surroundings. It was a hall along the upper floors of the castle linking two parts of the structure together. "But you cheated so technically it didn't count. Who tickles someone in the middle of a match?!"

"I do~ Isn't it strategy to utilize your opponent's weaknesses?" Noctis justified slyly.

Lightning had to admit to the man's logic but she was far from happy to acknowledge it as the pain of a defeat still stung.

"It took a while, but I finally evened the— ah! There Light, down below, can you see it?" Noctis lead Lightning to the window and pointed to a particular spot on ground level. It was a rectangular fixture of glass, but upon further speculation revealed various flowers and plants housed within its transparent walls. "C'mon!" He took Lightning by the hand and began to run down to the staircase at the end of the hall.

It was a rare sight for Noctis to seem so excited like a child but it was refreshing for Lightning to see. She simply decided to follow the man's lead as they hurried down the stairs and burst through the large ornate doors leading them outside. They immediately took in a big gulp of Tenebrae evening air as the glass garden came into full view several meters away. The pathway leading to the entrance of the garden was a linear pathway lined with cobblestone. A white arched tunnel ornamented with lights illuminated the couple's path as their boots clapped against the stone.

"Well isn't this romantic?" Lightning commented sarcastically. Despite her tone Noctis knew she was being sincere and laughed in response. He gazed at her in a dreamlike trance as specks of light flickered in her pale aqua irises. Lightning had to nudge him out of his reverie else he would have collided with the doors to the garden. "We're here." She said as she snapped her fingers in front of his face.

Noctis grinned and gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek as thanks before he opened the doors and welcomed Lightning inside.

The soldier held her breath in anticipation recalling Noctis saying that this was where his mother spent time with him and told him of a specific flower they both now knew of.

Immediately after stepping into the enclosure Lightning was hit with a whirlwind of sweet scents and colors. Petals of red, blue, violet, gold and a myriad of more lined shelves of deep brown wood along the glass walls of the building whilst large leafy trees provided shade for people on warm days. It was as if they had stepped into a forest. The center of the area was decorated with a leveled circular pyramid which held (what Lightning assumed to be) one of each kind of plant found in the garden and at the very top of the pyramid was a flower which had yet to bloom.

Lightning crouched down and admired the red petals of a rose in full bloom. "Serah would have a blast here. It's nice. Speaking of which, what did she tell you back at the party?"

Noctis jolted up, "Err… you don't want to know." He said as he averted his gaze only to have Lightning appear in his line of sight again.

"I think I do."

Noctis gulped and leaned in to whisper what he had conversed with Serah about. "She said… 'Noct, I have a photo of Light right out of the dressing room in her swimsuit. You gotta wake up and buy it before someone else does.'"

"What?!" Lightning sputtered unable to comprehend what the prince had just confessed for a second. "What kind of— was it true?!" She interrogated aggressively seizing the man's collar.

"O-Of course not! It was an obvious bluff to wake me up." The prince responded nervously.

Lightning released the man and sighed momentarily turning away to hide her bashfulness. "Tch… damn it Serah. Quit making weird deals with him like that." Lightning muttered as she turned away from Noctis to stare at a cluster of colorful flowers allowing the prince to tuck his secret photo deeper into his pocket. 'So… that coaxed him to wake up?! That idiot!'

She looked towards where she last saw the prince but found he was nowhere in sight. "Noct?" She looked around the area and nearly knocked several pots off the shelves when she located him. He was scaling up the pyramid up to the flower yet to bloom.

"Almost… there..!" The prince reached out towards the crystal pot housing the flower.

"Noct!" She yelled loudly when his fingers brushed over the edge of the pot.

"Whoa!" Lightning watched horrified as Noctis teetered back and forth on the pyramid clumsily trying his best not to knock down any flowers while at the same time to keep his balance.

He quickly secured the flower at the top of the platform in his arms and shouted, "Gotcha!" But consequently caused him to fall back. He clutched the pot in his arms protectively shielding the flower and braced for impact; yet what would have been a painful impact against his back was prevented when he landed in Lightning's grav-con field and into her arms.

"Do you always have to be so reckless?" Lightning asked as she breathed a sigh of relief.

Noctis smiled at his girlfriend sheepishly and revealed the flower to Lightning which at that moment caught the moonlight and came into full bloom displaying its shimmering aqua petals. "I don't think I'll ever get tired of that."

Sharing the rare sight with her beloved easily quelled Lightning's annoyance with Noctis's actions. "I don't think I'll get tired of it either."

The two stared into one another's eyes for a moment until Noctis took a note of their position. "Err… Light, this is kinda…"

The corners of Lightning's mouth curved upwards into a mischievous smile. "What? You don't like being carried bridal style?"

Noctis scratched his cheek and blushed. "Well not in particular it's just… I prefer carrying you in my arms bridal style." Upon hearing this Lightning's face turned beet red and she dropped the man to the floor.

"Don't say things like that… it's embarrassing…"

"Well then I guess this next part is all the more embarrassing then."

"What do you mean?"

"Say Light…" Noctis started as he started to kneel down on one knee. Lightning's mind was entering a mode of frenzy as she watched the action in slow motion. She saw him raise the crystal flower vase up to her. "It's… it's not a proper ring but…" He took a gulp of courage before staring at his girlfriend with determined conviction as he spoke his next sentence. "Lightning, Claire, Ms. Bedhead Farron…" She watched with wide eyes as each word froze a part of her body locking her in place. She could feel a knot in her throat as he took one more breath and gazed at her with a mixture of bashfulness and bravado. "Will you marry me?"

For a moment, all was quiet. No rustling of leaves, no ballad from the wind, no voices in the night.

Lightning stared at the prince's form as the clouds above glided away from the moon showering the man a lunar glow which gleamed through the clear ceiling of the garden. Vespere Lux shimmered in full bloom in the palm of his hands, the pale aqua petals highlighting the hint of pink dusting his cheeks. She felt her heartbeat quicken as the meaning behind the words finally hit her. She questioned why as she placed one hand over her chest. They'd been so affectionate (in secret) leading up to this point, so why did such a simple sentence have such a heavy impact? Why was her heart beating so fast when her body was so still? Was it the prospect of the proposal? The setting? After deliberating to herself silently she decided on her answer and flicked the prince on the forehead. As she held back her tears.

"Sorry… but I can't do that Mr. Reckless."

*Fourteen years later*

"Hey papa, how did you propose mama?" A young girl with midnight black hair asked her father as she parried an incoming sword stroke from a boy with messy, dirty blond hair streaked with highlights of red causing him to lose his balance.

"Waughh!" The boy exclaimed as he tumbled to the ground while the girl twirled the length of her hair which fell to her collarbone with her finger. "Ngh! Now! Get her guys!" She heard the downed boy shout just as she had started to pick at her fringe.

"W-Where did this question come from Lumina?" Noctis asked in somewhat of a daze not expecting his daughter to formulate such a personal question out of the blue.

Lumina answered whilst fending off two more attackers who came charging at her, one a girl with curly raven black hair and amber eyes and a scar over her nose, the other being a boy with light brown hair held up by a blue bandana and glasses sitting on his nose highlighting green eyes. "I'm curious is all." She said with a grin as she dodged the girl's spear thrusts and deflected the boy's wooden knives.

Noctis rolled his eyes and looked at the mischievous look of Gladiolus off to his side. "Man Noct, Lumina sure is tough huh. C'mon Sigrun, almost had that point!" Gladiolus cheered for his daughter.

"Grr… c'mere Lumina!" Sigrun barked ferociously as she lunged forward with her wooden spear.

"Yeah! The score is only 5 to 3 to 2 to 2! You can still turn this around Leo!" Vanille shouted excitedly at her son.

"Thanks mom! Time to switch it up!" The blond exclaimed as he drew a training gun from the holster on his belt.

"Don't forget your form Alf! And utilize cover from the environment!" Ignis lectured to his own son.

"Yes father." The boy answered briefly before taking refuge behind a barrel.

"Well papa?" Lumina asked impatiently as she continued her training session with her friends.

Noctis crossed his arms and shared a smile with his friends. "Tell you what, if you win this session I'll tell you. Deal?"

Her father's proposition caused the young girl's eyes to twinkle with fire as she leapt into action driving Sigrun back.

"Now that's more like it!" Sigrun said with a grin.

Lumina then targeted Leo who had been struck with fear at the sight of girl's renewed battle fervor.

"Waaaah! That's not fair Uncle Noct! Mom! Say something will ya?! You know how Lumina gets when— oof!" The boy grunted as he tumbled over Alf behind the barrel.

"Leo you dunce!"

As the fight continued the dark brown double doors of the training facility suddenly flew open. "Heeey! Sorry we're late!" Prompto called out as he sprinted towards Vanille and gave her a peck on the cheek. "Did we miss a lot?"

"It's just getting good." Noctis answered.

"Dear Etro not again…" Prompto said as his palm collided with his forehead.

"Waaaaaaah! Daaaaaad! Lumina's going crazy again!"

"Hang in there buddy!"

Fang jumped up over Gladiolus and threw one arm over his neck while the other shot towards the ceiling. "That's nothing! Show her how it's done Sigrun!"

"You got it Ma!" Sigrun shouted back and managed to graze Lumina's armor causing a digital scoreboard to shift the girl's score from three to four.

"Atta girl!"

Rikku dropped her toolbox to the floor causing a loud clang to startle everyone as she wiped her forehead clear of sweat and instead replaced it with soot. "Sorry Alf, another of mommy's new prototype machina went a little haywire today and I had to fix it up!" She stuck her tongue out and winked at her son and Ignis absentmindedly causing the two to sigh.

"Oh Rikku…"

"Oh mother…"

Noctis then looked up at the figure to approach him and smiled. "Hey, she's getting better every day huh Stel?"

The woman Noctis addressed met the prince's gaze with her purple irises and smiled. "Of course, she knows various fighting styles after all."

The two watched as Lumina slashed away at Alf's knives once again. "The sword style of House Caelum." The woman noted referring to the source Lumina's slash was derived from.

Next Leo aimed his gun at the young swordswoman only to find her blade thrust into its barrel rendering it useless. "The fencing style of House Fleuret…"

"Oi Stella!" Fang called over Gladiolus's head. "We gotta see which is better after the kids. My spear from Oerba or your fancy fencing."

Stella giggled and tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. "It would be my pleasure Fang."

"She's a tough one you know." Noctis said as he caught Gladiolus's smile.

Stella nodded and held her hands behind her back. "Yes I know. Though I wonder if she's as tough as her."

Paradigm Shift: 14 years ago Guardian Corp Promotional Exam

Lightning winced as she narrowly parried a thrust from a training rapier which caught her shoulder delivering a sharp shock to her arm. The crowd burst into a roar of cheers and applause as one of the commentators of the evaluation battle blurted into the microphone, "Will you look at that?! Ms. Fleuret has pushed back the star cadet of Bodhum! Lady Luck has graced us with an amazing battle today everyone as two beauties battle it out one for a lieutenant promotion and the other as a fencing instructor from the newly reformed Eden!"

"Damn… either I've gotten way too rusty, or she isn't anyone to laugh at." Lightning muttered to herself softly as she stared at the poised woman before her.

"Your techniques are quite unorthodox Ms. Farron, I have to say I haven't had a battle quite like this before." She complimented with a smile.

"Lightning." The soldier pronounced her name sharply.

"I beg your par—"

"Lightning. Call me Lightning, I hate the whole 'Ms. Farron' thing."

The woman chuckled and gave her respected opponent a nod. "Then please address me as Stella."

Lightning tapped her boots against the hard floor of the arena and undid the straps of her holster to seize the training firearm stored in it in her left hand. "Alright Stella." She acknowledged with a smile before taking aim.

Stella held her silver rapier in front of her face and closed her eyes. After clicking her heels together she revealed her pools of purple and held her sword point towards Lightning in her fighting position. In response to the ready pose Lightning fired several shots at Stella and then took off running in her opponent's direction rather than waiting for the blonde to deflect or dodge the bullets.

As expected, Stella evaded each attack with fluid motions but wasn't expecting Lightning's combination attacks comprising of sword strokes, swift punches and powerful kicks enabling the star cadet to connect several times causing an uncomfortable chain of electrical surges to numb Stella. The crowd erupted into cheers once more yet the voices that stood out amongst all others belonged to none other than her friends.

"You go Light!"

"C'mon sis! You got this!"

"After this it's you against me Sunshine!"

"Sazh, I can't see pass your fro!"

"Who's the guy with the mustache?"

The star cadet could feel a positive, warm aura radiating from their seats in the bleachers which gave her a large confidence boost, yet she knew something was missing as there were still four empty seats next to her friends. One she had been staring at in particular as it was reserved for someone special.

'Where is he?'

As she was caught up in the middle of her thoughts, Lightning failed to notice Stella lunged at her with her rapier which made direct contact with her chest causing a powerful shock to numb the soldier's body. "Augh!"

Stella quickly retracted her weapon and looked at Lightning with a mix of surprise and concern. "Lightning, are you alright? I thought you were ready to resume the battle once again."

Lightning mentally smacked herself and calmly caught her breath. "Yeah… sorry, just thinking about some idiot." She confessed to a confused Stella. "Nevermind, let's keep going. Nice hit by the way. There's some real power in your technique."

"Thank you!" Stella replied back excitedly and took a battle position once again. She lunged once more at Lightning who successfully evaded this time as her mind was focused on the battle and as her blade connected with Stella's hip she noticed Cid take up one of the empty seats near her friends accompanied by Rygdea and a few other shadows that blended into the crowd. A smile appeared on her face when she looked towards Cid's direction. "It's about time."

Paradigm Shift

Lumina and Sigrun exchanged a heated series of blade thrusts one coming from a sword and the other from a spear. They seemed evenly matched earning praise from both Noctis and Fang when the doors of the room suddenly flew open revealing three more individuals.

"Aww yeahhh, the herooo is here!" The shortest of the three shouted as he tossed a duffel bag to the floor and leapt into the training ring. He quickly fitted gloves onto his hands and ran towards Lumina as he began to wind his fist back. Both Lumina and Noctis held the same blank expression as the boy blindly rushed the young Caelum and with a simple extension of her foot, she managed to trip the boy sending him tumbling down to crash into Leo and Alf.

With a harmonized "waughhh!" the three boys flailed about to untangle their arms and legs from one another and out of broken bits of wood from the barrels they broke. "Watch it Zephyr!" Leo cried out as he shoved the boy of his body.

The rose haired boy fell back on his bottom and laughed. "Sorry about that! Guess I put too much power in there huh?"

Lumina rolled her eyes and continued her bout with Sigrun as Leo and Alf helped the boy addressed as Zephyr up.

"Honestly Zeph, your just as energetic as your old man huh?" Noctis said with a smile.

"And he's gonna be just as strong huh buddy?" Snow bellowed as he threw one arm around Noctis's neck.

"Stronger!" Zephyr shouted as he stuck his fist out towards Snow.

"That's the way little man!"

If Noctis didn't know any better they were engaged in a shouting battle. "How can you withstand the volume Serah?" Noctis asked the young Farron as she set her things down by the bench he was seated at.

"One thing's for certain. It's always lively in their household." Stella commented with a giggle.

"Aren't they just the sweetest things?" Serah squealed as she watched her husband and son in the midst of their cheering contest. "It's been such a long time, how are you Noct? Stella?"

Noctis rose from his seat to give Serah a hug. "Been doing great, things at Tenebrae are good as well. Sure paperwork is a hassle but what's a king to do."

Stella placed a hand on Noctis's shoulder, "Best not complain else the Captain of the Knights will be sure to tell you otherwise."

"Err… right. A-Anyways, how have you been Serah?"

The young Farron's face lit up as if she had been waiting all day for someone to ask her. "Great! I love my new job too! But for some reason I here that I have somewhat of a notorious reputation at the school as being a strict teacher…" A comment to which Noctis noticed Snow stiffen up to.

"Heh… the staff must be imagining it." Noctis said with a chuckle.

"Alright!" Gladiolus's voice boomed through the room. "Let me get in on this!"

"Me too!" Prompto jumped up and joined the circle of Snow, Zephyr and Gladiolus who were shouting compliments about their kids.

"What form of strange entertainment have they occupied themselves with now?" Ignis muttered as he rubbed the bridge of his nose.

"No Alf'll be stronger!" Rikku shouted causing Ignis to practically fall over as he saw his wife leap into the fray.

"R-Rikku dear…"

"C'mon Igie!"

Alf's cheeks grew red as he tugged his bandana down over his eyes to hide his embarrassment.

"He's just like Ignis in that regard."

Just then, the sound of an aggressive battle cry demanded all attention towards the boxed arena in the center of the room.

Sigrun leapt into the air and directed her spear down towards Lumina who swiftly snapped her fingers before impact could be made activating her grav-con unit to repel the aggressive spear user. Once all her opponents were downed the shrill sound of a buzzer ringing ended the timed training session.

Lumina wiped the sweat off her brow and turned to Noctis and Stella. "I win papa! That means— mama! You're back, I didn't notice!" Lumina shouted excitedly as she rushed over towards Noctis and Stella.

"The sword style of House Caelum, the fencing style of House Fleuret and…"

"…the improvisational style of Farron." Lightning finished Stella's summary as she finished setting her bag down and leaned over Noctis's shoulder and gave him a kiss on the cheek just in time to catch Lumina in her arms. "You did great Lu." Lightning praised as she ruffled her daughter's dark hair and gave a motherly stare into the pale aqua eyes of her daughter who inherited them from her. Lumina giggled and nuzzled her nose against Lightning's.

"That was great Lu!" Serah praised excitedly as she gave her sister and niece a hug.

"Hi auntie Serah!" Lumina managed to say as Serah rubbed her cheek against the young girl. "How was that Ms. Fleuret?" Lumina asked the woman with blonde hair and purple eyes.

Stella giggled, "As expected from my ace student!"

"How was work today Ms. Bedhead?" Noctis asked as he wrapped one arm around Lightning's waist and kissed her on the lips.

Lightning cradled Lumina in her arms and sighed. "You'd think the new trainees hadn't seen a sword before. They're so timid. And Noel isn't exactly helpful when he expects them to be as fast as he is on the 'Hunter' acrobatics course. Shelke is getting used to handling all the paperwork with Hope as my secretaries."

"It's tough being Queen and Captain of the Knights huh?"

"I'll get my payback soon. I told the cadets that as motivation, the king himself will have a sparring match with me. They were pretty fired up about that."

"Ohh! Papa is going to challenge mama?!" Lumina cheered excitedly and gave her parents a passionate stare. "Oh! Also I won that match papa, which means…"

Noctis sighed, "A deals a deal I suppose. She really pulled one on me this time Light."

"Yes!" Lumina cheered triumphantly as the lunch bell rang allowing the students to roam free with their parents and friends for half an hour.

After giving their friends a quick, "We're taking a walk outside." Noctis lead his family out to the front steps of the Training Grounds—the newly established recreational facility where aspiring students of combat forms go to hone their skills. It was actually part of a larger establishment which served as a school for students to learn general education as well.

"What's this about?" Lightning tilted her head looking a tad confused as she walked outside with Noctis and their daughter between them.

"Our daughter wants to know how I proposed to you." Noctis muttered sounding slightly embarrassed.

Lightning grinned upon hearing the reason behind her daughter's excitement. "Go on then, tell it Noct. I want you to remind me too."

Noctis rolled his eyes and continued to walk when he felt a sharp tug on his shirt. He looked down to see his daughter pouting at him.

With a heavy sigh Noctis coughed into his hand and scratched his flushed cheek as he crouched down to piggyback Lumina. His daughter clambered onto his back and threw her arms over his shoulders and shouted "March!" as she pointed ahead causing her mother to laugh. He gave his wife a loving kiss on the lips in attempts to silence her but it only made her grin and tease him more.

"Well, I suppose it all started when your mother rejected me."

Paradigm Shift

"Sorry… but I can't do that Mr. Reckless."

"What?!" Noctis almost dropped the vase onto the floor but quickly caught the fragile container at the last second. "W-Why not? Was it too cheesy? Damn it! I should have consulted people to pick a more proper way to go about this. Tsk! I—" Lightning hushed the man by placing two fingers over his lips.

"Well first of all, Light can't because she has a GC Academy promotional match coming up to promote to lieutenant meaning more benefits such as a gil increase, and a gunblade at that just to name a few perks." She said as she held up another two fingers in her other hand soon followed by a third as she listed more reasons. "Third is we've decided that you are going to stay here for the time being as king remember? I'm going back to Bodhum to report back and prepare for the exams. All this Tenebrae business has caused me to deviate from my studies long enough. This separation wouldn't be proper for a marriage proposal because after all…" She slowly slid her fingers down Noctis's lips down his chin and neck and finally stopping to place her hand over his heart. "I want to be spending time with you after such a serious proposition."

Noctis's eyes grew wide and the blush on his face glowed even brighter. "L-Light, I—"

"It would mean training with a worthy opponent every day!" She exclaimed with a flash in her eyes.

Noctis narrowed his own stare at her causing her to laugh. "But that's not the main reason why you big idiot." She touched her forehead against Noctis's and gave him a bashful pout that silenced anything he wanted to say. "I expect you to be there to see me the exams and accept my promotion. And after… I expect a repeat performance of this… got it?"

The prince nuzzled against Lightning and set the flower pot down before wrapping his arms around her waist. He locked his fingers together refusing to let her go. "Mm… got it Li—" He felt her soft fingers touch his lips once more.

"We're alone remember?"

"I thought you'd notice." Noctis murmured back as he pecked her nose affectionately. "I got it Claire~" He hugged her tightly and felt her hug back reciprocating the gesture. "Well then, shall we head off to bed? You wouldn't want to be sleepy and miss your flight tomorrow right? Though granted Sazh is driving so you wouldn't have to worry about being left behind but— mmph~"

Lightning easily silenced the man's ramblings once she glued her lips to his and momentarily took advantage of the fact he opened his mouth to her to lead him in a tongue twining dance. Once she had her fill, she slowly parted and glared at the man looking completely flustered. "You kept talking on purpose didn't you?"

"Mm~" Noctis replied honestly even refusing to hide his desires. "Thanks for silencing me in my favorite way." Lightning clicked her tongue and dragged Noctis forward back to the manor through their linked hands. "It's also your favorite way isn't it~?"

The prince felt a momentary squeeze against his hand as Lightning tensed for a moment but was met with silence save for the sounds of their footsteps against the ground. He noticed the faint red coloring the tips of Lightning's ears as he followed her lead but could swear he heard a soft, "Yes."

Paradigm Shift: 5 months later Guardian Corp Promotional Exam

"C'mon guys! What seat is it again Ignis?!"

"Slow down Noct! We just managed to escape all those reporters. Couldn't you think of a better disguise than just a trench coat, top hat and mustache? You stick out like a sore thumb!"

"Hey, I thought it looked pretty good."

"You stood out the most Gladio!"

"It's row two seat thirteen your highness."

"Got it! I'll be going on ahead!"

"H-Huh? Wait Noct! Crap! I hear the reporters again!"

"Keep 'em busy! Light's match is starting already!"

"But—! Ack! Ignis, Gladio, 'plan avoid the press while keeping Noct's disguise intact' is a go!"

"Simply put, plan B."

Noctis could hear the roar of the crowd as the light at the end of the hall grew brighter and brighter with each of his footsteps. Waves of "whoa's," "ohhh's," and the announcer's echoing comments about Lightning's match off against her opponent Stella urged Noctis to run faster and faster.

As soon as he emerged through the bright entryway he was met with a whirlwind of confetti as the stadium holding the promotional GC exams came into full view. If Noctis didn't know any better it was practically a sport of sorts with all the balloons, food vendors and cadets waving flags of their respective academies around. The prince found himself having to work his way down towards the bottom row of seats which was closer to and had a clear view of the action despite the battles being displayed on the large holo-panels around the arena.

"Row seven… six… ah!" Noctis had no need to count the rest of the rows since he noticed the Bodhum crew from well up the steps as they were one of the loudest groups to cheer.

"You go Light!"

"C'mon sis! You got this!"

"After this it's you against me Sunshine!"

"Sazh, I can't see pass your fro!"

"Who's the guy with the stache?"

Noctis forgot he was still in disguise and discarded the trench coat, mustache and top hat. "Hey guys! It's been a while."

"Oh no! Light was hit!" Serah cried out with a gasp.

"What?!" Noctis's eyes darted towards the arena and sure enough, Lightning had been struck on the chest by Stella's rapier. "Get over there to your seat and cheer her on!" Serah said in a strict familiar lecture-like tone as she pushed Noctis down the row.

Prompto, Ignis and Gladiolus came bounding down the stairs at the same town and were immediately "attacked" by Vanille, Rikku and Fang. That was when Noctis noticed Cid in his designated seat. He immediately marched forward and momentarily dwelled on the words he'd use to address the man but it was drowned out for his concern for Lightning. Instead he stood directly in front of Cid and shouted, "SORRY I'M LATE LIGHT!"

"It's about time." Lightning murmured with a smile and turned to the man in the crowd as the holo-panels displayed their respective faces.

"It's the prince!"

"He's back?!"

"No, he's the king now remember!"

"Look at all those reporters across the stadium."

"They're headed this way!"

"Excuse me but you're obscuring my view of the fight. Can you please move?" Cid rose from the seat and was met with an extremely annoyed looking Noctis.

A vein pulsed across the king's brow as he stared the other man down. "Huh?" He responded brashly.

"I said—"

"Oh I heard what you said. Now a better question is 'why are you in my seat?'"

"You're seat? I beg to differ; I have a ticket which says otherwise." Cid said as he produced the item of interest and held it up to Noctis. Sure enough it read "Row 2 Seat 13" however so did Noctis's as Cid came to see as the king revealed his ticket.

"Heh… there's simply one explanation then."

"You got that right."

"Yours is a fake!" The two shouted simultaneously. "What?! No yours is! Shut up!"

"BOTH OF YOU SHUT UP!" Lightning roared indignantly. "We're fighting an important match here!" Her intense tone caused both men to quiet down immediately as well as momentarily petrify Stella. "Noct hurry up and sit down! Cid go sit on the floor or something before I really lose my temper. You should be working off your debt to Tenebrae anyways."

Cid flinched and hissed at the smug look on Noctis's face as he begrudgingly relinquished the seat to the king.

Before sitting however Noctis felt the need to do one more thing as he ran towards the first row and leaned over the fenced barrier to shout. "Go get 'em Light!"

It was the last boost of encouragement she needed. The star cadet stood up proudly and readied her sword. With a powerful kick off the ground she leapt after Stella and swung with her friend's words acting as the force driving her body.

Paradigm Shift

The stars had already began to peek from out from the night sky by the time the GC Promotional Exams had ended. Of the few non-commanding officers taking center stage were both Lightning and Stella seated next to one another looking exhausted yet happy at the same time. Both wore similar cuts and bruises and their uniforms had indeed seen better days, yet it was all a sign of their memorable battle.

Stella had received a new rapier from her commanding officer and a badge in the shape of golden wings symbolizing her successful rise to being an instructor. After she had taken her seat next to the star cadet, Lieutenant Amodar rose up from his seat and approached the podium. "We now call Cadet Farron to the stage." Lightning took a deep breath and shared a smile with Stella before the sound of applause drowned out her hearing. She slowly approached the podium and met Amodar's parental smile as he gave her a concealed thumbs up.

"I'm glad to grant this new pauldron as one of the items symbolizing your rank up to you today Lieutenant Farron. And this…" Amodar picked up a small metallic case and handed it to Lightning. "This is your new uniform."

Lightning eagerly took the case from Amodar while maintaining composure.

"Cadets Shelke and Terra, go on and help your commanding officer into her new gear." Amodar ordered in a friendly manner summoning Lightning's cadets to her side. The two prideful women ushered their weary lieutenant into one of the tents nearby and guarded the entrance whilst she switched uniforms.

While she was in the middle of changing, Lightning couldn't help but feel that Noctis was somewhere close by or was trying to get close and though it was only a feeling, she resolved to teach him a lesson later.

"C'mon guys! Let me go!" Noctis shouted as he was being restrained by his Guardians and Serah.

"No funny business your Highness." Serah said strictly to the king who pouted in response for having his little plight of hormonal mischief foiled.

Lightning pushed aside the tent flaps a few minutes later and appeared before everyone in her new uniform—an ensemble consisting of a white collared tunic which fell just halfway over her brown skirt partially covered a brown zip up turtleneck. Blue fingerless gloves with gold plating armoring her knuckles clothed her hands and light maroon boots rose just below her knees. Her left leg sported a crimson bag serving as a convenient storage pack for items and supported the empty black holster swinging behind her as both were attached to her belt. The holo-panel managed to catch the shimmering glimmer of her bolt shaped necklace resting against her chest causing Noctis's heart to skip a beat.

The star cadet jogged back to the platform and was about to take the pauldron (she failed to retrieve when rushed off stage) from Amodar when a deft pair of hands got to them first. Zidane tossed the item over to Terra who quickly grew flustered as it fumbled in her hands. Bartz grinned at a startled Lightning and pointed to the old pauldron still on her shoulder giving her the clarification she needed.

The soldier held out her left arm allowing Shelke easier access to remove the shoulder guard and equip the new one onto her commanding officer. The gold glowing stripes on across the green plating gave Lightning a sense of renewal and pride. After giving her cadets a word of thanks she saluted them along with her commanding officers present on stage who returned the respectful gesture. She gave a small wave to her friends in the crowd who broke into a symphony of cheers and whistles, but noticed Noctis to be absent from his seat. She looked around the area for any sign of the man but then spun around when she felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Congratulations Ms. Bedhead." Noctis said with a proud smile as he held up a rectangular metallic case with "Lieutenant Farron" emblazoned across the top in bold black letters outlined gold. He pressed a glowing green button placed on the edge of the case causing the box to crack open and release a small plume of steam before opening up to reveal a shining gunblade resting atop a crimson interior. "You've definitely earned this and more." The king was tempted to kiss his girlfriend but decided to hold back for fear of embarrassing her on stage.

Lightning smiled back at her boyfriend as she traced her fingers along the hilt of the gunblade before removing it from the case to grow accustomed to its weight. She held the blade up towards the sky and noticed the words "Invoke my name - I am Spark" engraved into it. 'Fitting.' She thought to herself softly.

"Hey Noct…" Lightning murmured as she holstered her new sword.

"Yes Lieutenant Bedhead?"

Lightning's brow arched up as an amused smile appeared on her face at the sound of the altered nickname. "Can I see your ticket?"

"Huh?"

Lightning held out her hand expecting the king to comply and he did so despite seeming very confused.

After snatching the ticket from his hand Lightning began to pick at one of the corners. "Sorry to say but your ticket was the fake… ngh!" She grunted as she peeled back one of the corners. "I thought the number was fitting because of our room number back at Nautilus. I never expected Cid to have the real ticket. But at any rate…" The young woman blushed as she stripped off the false back of the ticket and crumpled the sliver of paper in her hands as she flipped the ticket over to reveal the words "Will you marry me?" To her king. "Will you marry me you big idiot?" She emphasized for all to hear.

The crowd fell frighteningly silent to the point where all that was heard was the howling of the wind. The announcer up in the commentator's box actually elbowed his microphone knocking the device to the ground which was made for all to hear.

"What did she say?!" Some women in the crowd cried out.

Noctis's eyes grew wide; he looked slightly taken aback by the question as his eyes darted from Lightning to the ticket and then pouted at his girlfriend. "I thought you said you wanted a repeat performance of my proposal."

"Let's just say that flew out the window when I got tired of waiting Mr. Reckless. Or rather Mr. Five Minutes late. I'll only say it one more time; you know how I hate to repeat things, so… will you— hmmph!"

Lightning was filled with absolute bliss as the yearning for her prince's now king's embrace and kisses satisfied her hunger then and there. It was as if the two had been traversing a desert and finally happened upon their oasis. "The answer will always be 'yes' Ms. Bedhead." He told her confidently and before she could have any time to respond he held her close and pressed his lips against hers once again, this time with even more passion that she was coaxed to arch her back seeing as how the prince removed all limitations of holding back his kisses for her. They would have toppled to the floor if Lightning hadn't kept her footing (which was difficult to do so since her mind was preoccupied with her beloved) but even if they did so, she wouldn't have cared.

"Woooo!" Serah shouted from the crowd soon joined in by the rest of their friends, crowd and even commanding officers to which some began to cry.

"I-I'm… glad I got a repeat performance of a kiss." Lightning confessed softly as soon as they had parted to breathe. She tried her best to hide her eyes behind her fringe but knew Noctis could see her embarrassment clearly.

"More where that came from~" Noctis said as he dipped down for another kiss with his fiancée who gladly welcomed the loving action.

Paradigm Shift

"And then we got married and Venti found you in a cave up in the mountains Lu."

"Whoaaa… so mama proposed!" Lumina uttered in awe as she yanked on her father's hair steering him in the direction she wanted to go. "But really mama? Venti found me?!"

"Yes, Venti did." Lightning responded without an ounce of hesitation and exchanged a deft nod with her husband silently agreeing that their daughter would learn more when she was older. Lightning recalled each detail as Noctis had told the story and even knew when he omitted the extremely private parts such as their kissing and affectionate exchange of words. The thought of having such intimate secrets painted a blush on her face which only grew more intense when Noctis tapped her on her side triggering one of her ticklish areas to flare up. "Ah!" She yelped instinctively and glared at her husband who couldn't help but laugh.

"Thanks for all the great memories Ms. Bedhead." He said suddenly feeling the nostalgia trip quite pleasant.

"Looks like you'll be thanking me a lot because we'll be making a lot more Mr. Reckless."

"I'm looking forward to it~ And Claire?"

"Yeah Noct?"

"I love you~"

Lightning leaned forward and touched her nose to Noctis's. "I love you too~" She murmured tenderly.

"And Lu loves the both of you too!" Their daughter intervened happily.

Noctis and Lightning shared a laugh as they each took hold of one of their daughter's hands and hoisted her up off the ground filling the air with her giggles. "We love you too Lu~" They said as they kissed their daughter's cheeks.

The three walked back towards their group of friends waiting at the Training Grounds and happily spoke of what dinner would comprise of for later in the evening. It was going to be another party since it was their long time reunion with everyone. Another memory they were all looking forward to making.

End Chapter

Xethear: I know I've probably said it plenty of times now, but thank you all for the dedication for sticking with Noct and Light's adventure in "The Rose of the Knight." I never expected the story to reach 50+ chapters and I know some chapters may have been long, slow and rambling, but nevertheless I really appreciate the positive words and feedback which helped shaped the story. Thanks to all my readers and reviewers (even those shy to review) for taking the time to comment on the story. Each review regardless of friendly advice or simply showing love for the story fuels the fire to write!

Though this story has reached an epilogue, we may see another fic with our beloved couple in the future, perhaps after Noctis's FF XV story is released. Until then, stay awesome everyone and perhaps look out for one shots and specials from yours truly.

Noct: Ms. Bedhead and Lumina say thanks everyone.

Lightning: Mr. Reckless says he's going to cook us a full course meal to celebrate.

Noct: Wha—?! Wait Claire can't we just relax first and—

Lumina: Papa, I want Gateau aux Fraises!

Noctis: Lu! Do you know how strenuous it is to make that dessert?!

Prompto: Alrighty guys! Line up for the closing shot! Three… two…

Noctis: Wait, don't I have a say in the matter?!

Light and Lu: Nope!

Prompto: One!

Noct: Ack!

Noct+Light+Lumina and friends: 'Til we meet again!