A/n: So, I have sprained my fingers and wrist on my dominant hand meaning updates will be VERY slow until I've healed. Hopefully, this prologue makes you all even more excited about the story even though updates will be scarce due to my injury. Hope you all enjoy! Love you all!!!
~✨Celestial✨~
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Eight days.

That is how long it's been since the destruction of Iona. The decimated planet could be seen from the crystalline sky of Eos. A once beautiful planet now obliterated into pieces by an unknown cataclysmic event. All who called it home had perished except for two survivors.

Six-year-old Makina Hexxus Valtreus, the princess of an annihilated world, hid behind her father as they stood in the grand throne room of the Citadel. She clung to his pants, fisting the fabric. Her heart thundered in her chest as her weary violet eyes darted around the large room. She saw various men and women dressed in strange attire who were lined up along the walls. This only made her cling to Fellux tighter. "Daddy..." she whimpered.

Fellux peered down at his daughter to see how frightened she was. Worried about her, he patted the top of her head with a gentle smile. "Everything's going to be fine, sweetheart. We're safe here."

Her eyes drifted over to the lines of Kingsglaive. "B-But..."

Just then, the door to the throne room opened. Makina's eyes drifted to the two men who entered. She remained hidden behind her father as he politely addressed both of them. She didn't listen to a word they were saying because of how scared she was. She tried to calm herself down, but her heart continued to pound wildly.

Hearing her name, the princess' body went rigid. She peered out from behind her father's legs to see a man kneeling to her level. She gasped in fright and dove back behind Fellux.

The ivory-haired king chuckled weakly at seeing his daughter's behavior. "Forgive her, Regis."

"There is no need," Regis replied. "You both have been through a traumatic calamity."

Fellux turned his head to look at his daughter. "Makina, please come out to greet His Majesty. It is thanks to him we have a new home. It would be rude to not thank him."

Makina felt tears rising in her eyes as she reluctantly stepped from behind Fellux. Her bottom lip quivered as a few tears trailed down her cheeks. She clutched the hem of her dress as she willed herself to speak with a shaky voice. "M-My name is Makina. Th-Thank you for our new h-home."

Regis smiled kindly at the child. He gently lifted his hand and wiped away some of her tears. "I am jovial you will be staying with us. After what happened to Iona, I could not ignore your plight." He wiped another tear away. "Perhaps you would feel more comfortable around my son. You both are close in age. Would you like to meet him?"

Feeling the warmth of Regis' hand made her fear slowly vanish. She could feel not only his warm palm but also his kindness. Her tears became few and far between before drying up entirely. In response, she nodded her head.

Regis lowered his hand, his smile more brilliant than before. "He will be here soon. How patient can you be?"

Makina glanced up at her father, who was also smiling at her. She then looked back at Regis. "Daddy says I have a lot of patience like Mommy did."

The king chuckled. "Your mother truly did have the patience to wait for anything. Although there was one thing she could not wait for."

"Really?" She couldn't believe her ears. Makina always knew her mother was a patient person and never pushed people to hurry. What could make her so eager to lose her abundance of patience? "What was it?"

"You," he answered. "She was yearning to meet you."

Fellux reminisced in the memory of his late wife. "Azuli was extremely restless to meet you, sweetheart. She couldn't wait for you to join our family."

"Mommy never told me," Makina stated with a pout.

"That's because Mommy was embarrassed to admit she lost her patience."

The snowy-haired child stared down at the marble floor. "But now she's with Valtreus, right?"

Valtreus was the name of the draconic god who watched over Iona. Alongside the mighty being were his six elemental serpents of water, earth, air, fire, time, and space. As a member of the Valtreus bloodline, Makina would soon learn what element she possessed. Her mother wielded space while her father could manipulate time. Perhaps she would inherit one of her parents' abilities or she would wield another element entirely.

Fellux nodded. "Yes. Mommy's now with Valtreus."

As Regis returned to his full stature, the door to the throne room opened a second time. Makina was too busy chatting with her father to notice. She didn't notice who else had joined them until Regis stepped aside to reveal a boy the same age as her. Her violet eyes widen in surprise at seeing his round cheeks and messy raven locks. She saw he too wore the same expression as her.

She was in so much shock that she only heard Regis say the boy's name as he nudged him forward. Now she stood face to face with him. She felt even more at ease to see someone her age. What she did notice about him was his own uncertainty at meeting her. Deciding to break the silence and awkward air lingering between them, she took it upon herself to greet him regardless of her nervousness. "H-Hello..." She held out her hand just like her father taught her. "I'm Makina."

Her nervousness only escalated when the boy didn't shake her hand back right away. She was becoming self-consciousness and wondered if she was making him uncomfortable. When she thought about retracting her hand, he finally took and shook it.

"I-I'm Noctis," he introduced himself.

Hearing his voice was just as shaky as hers made her whole being relaxed. She giggled and squeezed his hand. "It's nice to meet you, Noctis."

Hearing her laughter made Noctis smile.

Regis and Fellux were also smiling as they watched their children. They looked away from them and continued their conversation.

"I cannot express how grateful I am that you have opened up your home to me and my daughter," Fellux said.

"You are a dear old friend, Fellux," Regis replied. "It is the least I can do to repay you for all you've done for me. With the destruction of Iona, I cannot imagine the turmoil you or your daughter are going through."

"I know you have welcomed us with open arms, but I must ask something of you."

"Please, ask."

"I wish for Makina to continue her studies alongside Noctis while I search for Valtreus' disciples."

"I see." Regis glanced at the young girl who was laughing alongside his son. "I will make arrangements. This will not only benefit her but also Noctis."

"Thank you, Regis." Fellux's lilac eyes traveled over to his daughter. "I do not wish for her to be put in any more danger, especially after what happened to Iona."

"I understand, but do notify me before your departure. I will send members of the Kingsglaive with you to aide your journey."

Fellux nodded. "I will."

༻──── ⋇⋆✦⋆⋇ ────༺

After being introduced to Noctis, Makina was escorted out of the throne by her father and a few members of the Crownsguard. They were shown to their rooms to make themselves comfortable.

Makina was unnerved being in such a large, unfamiliar room without her father. She walked around the bed and inspected the bathroom before sitting down on the foot of the queen bed. She searched the pocket of her dress and found her mother's ring. She stared at the purple gemstone that adorned the middle of the black ring.

The ring was made from black gold with a purple diamond in the center. Pieces of silver in the shapes of feathers decorated both sides of the bridge. On each silver feather was a set of silver diamonds.

Makina gazed at the ring with a hint of loneliness in her eyes. Her mother used her ability to create rifts to send her and Fellux to Eos just before Iona was destroyed. Fellux tried to grab Azuli and take her with them, but she shoved him and their daughter into the rift. She wanted to save as many Ionians as possible, but the planet's core destabilized and killed her along with countless of others before she could save another soul. Only Fellux and Makina were the two people she was able to save.

Finally, the tears of sorrow flowed. Makina was grateful she and her father survived, but she missed her mother dearly. Tears streamed down her cheeks and dropped onto her hands. Some even trickled onto the ring.

A knock on the door startled Makina. She accidentally dropped the ring when she jumped. She heard it hit the floor, but she couldn't see where it went. Forgetting the person at the door, she frantically began searching for the ring. She got on her hands and knees to look under the bed. Lowering her body to the floor, she crawled under the bed.

When her body was halfway underneath, Makina heard someone call out to her.

"Lady Valtreus?"

The snowy-haired girl froze up at the sound of the accented voice. She realized the position she was in and promptly scooted out from underneath the bed. Standing not too far away from her, she spotted a bespectacled boy who was dressed formally. His hair was slicked back and his piercing emerald eyes were focused on her. She could see he wanted to know what she was doing. "I-I'm sorry." She promptly got to her feet and brushed down the front of her sable dress. "I dropped my mother's ring a-and now I can't find it."

"Please, allow me," he said. "You shouldn't dirty your dress."

"No, I couldn't let you do it! I'm the one who dropped it. I would like your help, though."

He didn't argue. "Then let us search."

Makina and the unnamed boy search the bedroom for the ring. They scoured under the bed, the dresser, the desk, and the nightstand. Fortunately, it had rolled underneath the nightstand.

It peeked out from underneath, which the boy had noticed. He picked it up and handed it to the young girl. "I believe this is yours, Lady Valtreus."

Makina gently took the ring from him with a grateful smile. "Thank you. I don't know what I would've done if I had lost it."

"It is quite a lovely piece," he said.

"My mother gave it to me before she forced me and my father through a rift. It's the only thing I have left that belonged to her." Makina safely stored the ring into the pocket of her dress. "I'm sorry for not greeting you properly. I was too worried about the ring that I forgot someone was knocking."

"An apology in unnecessary. I must be the one to apologize for entering without permission."

"I'm glad you did," she smiled faintly. "It's because of you I have my mother's ring back, and please call me Makina. I'm...not comfortable with the formal titles."

"As you wish, Makina. I am Ignis Scientia, advisor to Prince Noctis. His Highness wishes to extend my services to you."

"Oh, um..." She rubbed her upper arm. "That is kind of Noctis, but I don't want to make your job more difficult. I'll be okay without an advisor."

Ignis respected her decision and wouldn't force her to accept his services. He was in no position to try and convince a princess to change her mind. "Very well. I will inform His Highness."

"Thank you for the offer, though."

He nodded. "I will pass on your gratitude to His Highness. Do get some rest."

Makina watched the boy leave her room. She couldn't believe he was three years older than her and talked in such a proper manner. She also was shocked Noctis extended Ignis' help to her after they only met today. Still, she wouldn't complain. It was a nice gesture from the prince, one that made her feel more at home in the Citadel. She smiled gingerly at the warmth she felt. "Maybe it won't be so bad after all."