Title: Flowerbed Pairing: Aranea x Ravus ( RavAra) Rating: T Warnings (if necessary): Death Day 4: Comforting @ffxvrarepairsweek Author’s Note: Pardon the tardiness of this fic. Due to work for the next couple of days, I may be a day or two late with participating in the rare ship week. Hope this makes up for it! ;u;
It was unlike Ravus to require her presence in Tenebrae on a whim. Nevertheless, she met with him in a location that was..unusual. Standing in a field of sylleblossoms; Ravus was found standing before four headstones whilst holding a flower in his hand. Donning a black and white suit with his family crest engraved on the back, he closed his eyes as he smelled the lavender perfume of the approaching dragoon. “Did you know that sylleblossoms were Lunafreya’s favorite? She enjoyed many simple things in life, despite knowing her fate would end in ruin. What I would give to show how proud I was of her. Instead..I denied the prophecy that was foretold by our blood and argued with her till her death. I was hardly the supportive bother she needed.” He hated that all those he cared for were bound by death. Death for serving and protecting the line of Lucis. Needless to say, he was not pleased with the revaluation he had made, though kept to himself. Aranea listened to him as she looked at the names in order. King Jasper Nox Fleuret Queen Sylva Nox Fleuret Oracle Princess Lunafreya Nox Fleuret Pryna She knew that death was a touchy subject. Being the last of a royal line couldn’t have exactly have been easy. Taking a small step closer to him, she held her right hip as she spoke.“Sorry for your loss, Ravus. But..you know..if Lunafreya was here, pretty sure she’d tell you to not blame yourself. She was just doing what she had to. As much as you might hate hearing it, she was doing her duty.” An irritated sigh left his lips. “I am well aware. However..that does not mean I have to approve how eager she was to toss away her life. She was so ready to face death’s embrace.” His features fell, tossing the flower he had in hand into the tall grass before Lunafreya’s grave. “I could see in her eyes how she was slowly dying; taking in the Starscourge. It pained me to see her suffer and unable to do anything about it..” He prayed that she was at least at peace. However he could not do anything about her situation, not even if he wanted to would he be capable of doing so. The magitek attachment on his left arm was all the proof he needed. He may have the blood of the Oracle in him but he was far from pure like his beloved little sister. Had he not been so consumed in his need for revenge against the line of Lucis after the death of his mother, he could have been the supportive elder brother he was meant to be. Clenching his left hand, he turned to Aranea. He could still redeem himself..maybe. “I need your assistance, Commodore.” She rolled her eyes, giving him a small smile.”You know you can just call me Aranea, right? What do you need?” “Ensure the people of Tenebrae are safe. I..may be following Lunafreya’s footsteps by calling out the Empire on how wrong they are. This will likely be the last time I will be here in Tenebrae.” Aranea rose a brow. “You aren’t planning on doing something stupid, are you?” A faint smile tugged at his lips.”Perhaps.” “You know..you’ve already been marked as a traitor. Going to Niflhiem is a suicide mission, especially if you go alone.” His smile faded, looking back to the graves of his family. All of them died protecting what they held dear to their hearts -- even Pryna; a mere messenger hound and faithful companion to Lunafreya, was unable to continue living without the Oracle at her side. He had the unfortunate task of burying the poor thing here this afternoon. It seemed that the blood of the Oracle; bound to serve the Kings of Lucis, was haunted by death. “I know but I have to make amends with my failures.” Aranea pinched the bridge of her nose with a cringing sigh. “You’re crazy, you know that? Ugh..fine. I’ll do what I can. I left the military anyway; so I’ll be able to escort people out of here in no time. Just do me a favor and watch your ass.” Sighing in relief, Ravus inclined his head to her. “Thank you,Aranea.” Looking between the stones of his family, he couldn’t help but wonder how his parents would have acted -- had they been alive today. Corners of his lips twitched to a sad smile. “She would have liked you. My mother. Though I may have been too young to remember much of her, I do remember how free spirited she was. Quite the opinionated woman as well.”
Daring to reach out, his right hand moved on it’s own accord as he searched for Aranea’s. To his surprise, she curled her fingers within his, leaning her head on his shoulder. He turned to face the dragoon, only to see that she was staring out at the sunset. A soft hum left her lips as she gave his hand a comforting squeeze. “You know, I think I like your mother already. Not sure she would get alone with mine.” She gave a light laugh. “She was a drill Sargent..and the one who encouraged me to take ballet lessons as a kid. No one ever said ‘no’ to her. Talk about a hell of a strict parent. But..I know now that her strict attitude came from a place of love. She only wanted what was best for me. Thank the Gods she isn’t here now to see the mess that things have gotten.” Looking up at Ravus, she gave him a small smile. “Could you imagine how crazy the family reunion would have been..with both our families?” “..Certainly far from a dull affair, I’m sure.” he uttered softly. Ravus knew that his journey to Niflhiem would take a few days. He would be taking the first train in the morning, leaving instructions with Maria to evacuate the manor as soon as possible, knowing that trouble was on it’s way to Tenebrae. But for now, he took comfort in the warmth of Aranea near by. He would make things right..somehow..













