(I close my eyes and I can see
The world that's waiting up for me
That I call my own
Through the dark, through the door
Through where no one's been before
But it feels like home)

"Hey Ardyn, what you doing?"

Aera spoke happily as she walked into the open field towards where the man in question was sitting. Ardyn broke contact with the sky to glance over to her. Upon seeing her, he smiled and did not take his eyes of her.

"Just watching the stars."

"Mind if I join." Aera said as she clumsily knelt down behind him. She then draped her arms over his shoulders and rested her chin upon his head. He did nothing to stop her and his smile had not faded from his face.

The pair then looked up towards the sky in ore of the night's beauty. The night was a little cold so Ardyn held onto Aera's hands to keep them warm and she squeezed his back to silently thank him. They remained silent for a few moments before Aera's curiosity got the better of her. "Ardyn, how many stars do you think there are?"

"No idea. That is what makes them fascinating."

"You're so weird. But that's what I like about you." Aera laughed as she pulled him in for a tighter hug.

"I like you too Aera."

~~~

(They can say, they can say it all sounds crazy
They can say, they can say I've lost my mind
I don't care, I don't care, so call me crazy
We can live in a world that we design)

She had watched him heal the sick many times. But the amazement never faded. It was a miracle what he could do. He had the potential to save all of Eos and she couldn't understand why 'certain' people could not see it. The golden light faded and the sickness that had plagued the man had vanished. Ardyn and Aera soon left the family to heal and on their way back home Aera smiled brightly at the healer.

"You have a gift Ardyn. Don't ever lose sight of that."

"I won't Aera." He responded gently, trying to reassure her he knew what he was doing.

But she stopped in her tracks and pulled at his arm as she did so. Ardyn halted and turned to face her. Aera wore a face of worry and Ardyn understood why. Somnus' recent idea of handling the scourge was rapidly prevented the people form seeing other ways in which the situation could be handle. If Ardyn wasn't careful the people could turned on him, in favour of his brother.

"Please be careful. I know what you are going to say but I don't want to see you hurt."

"I promise you Aera I will be careful."

~~~

(Cause every night I lie in bed
The brightest colors fill my head
A million dreams are keeping me awake
I think of what the world could be
A vision of the one I see
A million dreams is all it's gonna take
A million dreams for the world we're gonna make)

"Archaeology? That is not something I thought you would be interested in."

Aera gasped, carelessly dropping the artefact in her hands and quickly turning around to face him. It had been weeks since the pair and seen each other and now nothing but relief and pure joy took over her. It made her so happy seeing her beloved standing there unharmed.

"Ardyn!" She cried happily. The Oracle then throw protocol out of the window and ran to him. He opened her arms out to her and when she finally got to him she literally jumped into his arms. He easily caught her and held her close to him. She buried her face into his chest and whispered sweetly. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, my darling." They stayed hugging for a moment. They never got to spend time together like this. But this moment was perfect. Utterly perfect.

When Aera finally decided to let Ardyn go he reached up to his ear and removed the Sylleblossom that she failed to see when she first saw him. He gave her a small bow and placed it out in front of his beloved Oracle.

"I picked this for you."

"Oh Ardyn, it's beautiful. Thank you." Aera couldn't help but smile as she he handed her, her favourite flower.

~~~

(There's a house we can build
Every room inside is filled
With things from far away
The special things I compile
Each one there to make you smile
On a rainy day)

"Aera.... I- I-" Ardyn stuttered over his words as he scratched his head nervously.

He was nervous. So nervous he thought he was going to be sick. He had never felt so nervous in all his life. His stomach was filled with butterflies and he just couldn't find the right words. This was the toughest question he was ever going to ask anyone in his entire life.

"Are you alright?" Aera said placing a comforting hand on his arm trying to calm him.

They were sitting down in a field of Sylleblossom, her favourite flower, but that did not comfort the Oracle as she saw how on edge her beloved was. She would so anything to make him feel more comfortable. But she didn't understand why he was acting this way. It was his idea that they came here, she couldn't think why he was so on edge.

"I just want to ask you something."

"Okay then."

Ardyn then looked into her soft blue eyes and suddenly all the panic, all the nerves and all the worry simply disappeared. This beautiful, smart, amazing woman was all the strength he needed. Looking in those eyes... he no longer feared the outcome of his question. All he wanted to do was to make her happy. That was what he was going to do no matter what.

He took one of her hands in one hand and the other he lightly cupped her cheek. He breathed out and allowed his heart to speak for him.

"I love you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you. I don't care about the throne or the scourge anymore, the only certain thing in this world for me, is you. Will you marry me?"

"Of course, I will you idiot. It was about time you asked." Aera shouted with joy in her voice.

She placed both her hands on the side of his face and kissed him on the lips. Ardyn smiled into the kiss and wrapped his arms around her waist. He decided to live in the moment. He never wanted this moment to end. Even when it did, he knew deep down in his heart, that this would be a memory he would always treasure.

A memory they would both treasure until the end of time.

~~~

(They can say, they can say it all sounds crazy
They can say, they can say we've lost our minds
I don't care, I don't care if they call us crazy
Runaway to a world that we design)

"All I said it was easier to burn them all."

"This is why everyone, including the Gods, prefer Ardyn to you." Aera shook her had at him. How on earth did the people like Somnus again? Oh yeah, because he had Gilgamesh to scare the crap out of them if they said one bad word against him.

He was a disgrace of a man.

"Do I look like I care?"

"Yes actually."

"You're just as crazy as he is." Somnus held back a laugh as he saw the Oracle's face sour at his words.

"Crazy?! I'll show you crazy!"

Aera then raised a fist in the air and was half way to punching the raven-hair man square in the face, then someone gently grabbed her arm, preventing her from causing any harm to Somnus. Her eyes narrowed and she was about to scream at the person who had laid a hand on her. Before she could do that the person spoke.

"Aera stop." Ardyn said softly.

Upon realising it was Ardyn, Aera put her arm down and actually spat at Somnus. The spit hit his face and he scowled back at her in retaliation. He wasn't about to say anything with his brother there, as much as he wanted too.

Ardyn then turned his attention towards Somnus and asked in the politest way he could mange, considering he had just upset his love. "Would you not call your future sister-in-law that, brother."

"Sorry." It was half arsed, but he was not going to say it again.

Ardyn shook his head at his younger sibling and assorted Aera away from him before she got into even more trouble. When the pair were safely out of hearing range from Somnus, Aera's frustration and anger towards the younger Caelum got the better of her. She ended up taking it out on Ardyn. "Why do you let him get away with calling you that!"

"I don't care what he thinks or says about me."

"I do! I care if he hurts you." She cried.

She hated it when people hurt Ardyn. She hated it. She then felt a pair of warm arms wrap around her and pulling her close. She allowed him to hug her and listened to his heart as she rested her head against his chest.

Ardyn then sigh and ran his fingers through her short yellow hair. "I am glad you do. But do not concern yourself with what he thinks. He isn't worth it. All that matters is what we think of each other."

~~~

(Every night I lie in bed
The brightest colors fill my head
A million dreams are keeping me awake
I think of what the world could be
A vision of the one I see
A million dreams is all it's gonna take
A million dreams for the world we're gonna make)

"You are too much of a dreamer Ardyn. You can't possibly think that is the way forward?"

"At least I am helping them, you on the other hand are killing them."

Somnus let go a heavy sigh. There was a time where Somnus thought his elder brother's ability was beyond amazing. That his gift of healing should be celebrated. But... it wasn't getting rid of the plague fast enough and more people were becoming infected. All the hope that Ardyn had was simply dreams. Dreams that could never become a reality. That was what Ardyn couldn't see.

"You can't save everyone." Somnus said sternly.

"That's what you think."

Ardyn was not about to let go of the belief the pair once shared. An Eos where the scourge was gone and everyone was happy and healthy. They didn't need to kill people to contain it. They could do this humanely and be remembered for the good not the bad. Ardyn didn't see why his brother's heart had grown so dark and why his trust in him and faded. Why couldn't they go back to how it used to be between them?

Ardyn went to exit the room but was stopped by Somnus' voice.

"Even Aera knows you can't. If you won't listen to me, at least listen to your fiancée."

Ardyn felt himself grow angry at his brother's words. Somnus didn't know Aera. He didn't understand her, he just saw her as a means to contact the Gods. She wasn't that to Ardyn. She was the one person he would gladly give his life for. Somnus no longer had that privilege. But instead of getting anger at him, Ardyn let go of the sudden hate he held for his brother and used a different tactic on him.

"When have you ever listen to anyone, other than mother?"

"I'll give you that one." Somnus smirked.

Maybe Ardyn was wrong. Maybe there was hope they could mend their fracturing relationship.

~~~

(However big, however small
Let me be part of it all
Share your dreams with me
You may be right, you may be wrong
But say that you'll bring me along
To the world you see
To the world I close my eyes to see
I close my eyes to see)

"Don't shut me out. Please I want to help you." Aera pleaded as Ardyn walked away from her.

He was growing sicker. Every now and then he saw that black substance when he coughed. No! He couldn't allow her to see when he was hurting. He wouldn't allow, the one thing that he held dear in this life, to worry about him. She had enough to worry about as she was the one who had to commune with the Gods and the Crystal. This was his burden and not hers.

Ardyn stopped walking when she stood in front of him, preventing him from leaving. He let go a light chuckle and tried to reassure her he was alright. "Aera darling, everything is alright."

She wasn't buying it.

"It's Somnus again, isn't it? What has he said this time? I'll punch his smug little face in." She was ready to cause that man pain. This time she wouldn't allow Ardyn to stop her.

"Don't do that. You leave Somnus to me, you need not get involved."

"I agreed to marry you for a reason. To help you no matter what comes our way. Even if it involves giving your little brother a kick up the arse every know and then."

"I have no doubt you will do that more then once." Ardyn laughed as he held on to one of her hands and brought it to his lips to kiss her hand gently.

"Let me help Ardyn." Aera she whispered locking her eyes with his.

In return he brought his face to her level and kissed her sweetly on the lips. He felt so blessed that she was apart of his life. She just seemed to make the pain of healing bearable. He felt with her by his side he could so anything. When he pulled away he rested his forehead against hers and let out a sigh of delight.

"You are helping me, my darling. Just by being you, you are giving me everything I have ever wanted in life."

~~~

(Every night I lie in bed
The brightest colors fill my head
A million dreams are keeping me awake
A million dreams, a million dreams
I think of what the world could be
A vision of the one I see
A million dreams is all it's gonna take
A million dreams for the world we're gonna make)

"Let me show you something." Ardyn smirked as he covered her eyes with a piece of cloth.

The pair walked for a little while and Aera made it known she did not like this one bit. Whining with every word she spoke. "Ardyn, really... I can't see."

"I've got you I promise." Ardyn smiled as he held on to her hands and helped up her the steps.

When they reached the top of an ancient ruin, Ardyn removed the blind fold off of her and Aera couldn't believe her eyes. They were standing in an ancient archway that was now covered with wild flowers. Birds and butterflies flew through the ruins and it led Aera's gaze straight a head of her. Standing there was an old statue of a person. Surrounding the statue was a little pond. It looked like it was walking on water and covering the water's surface, was a few pink petals that had fallen off the flowers.

It was a magical sight and Aera could not contain her excitment.

"Oh Ardyn this is amazing!" She jumped up and down clinging on to his shoulders as she did so. She then took hold of his hands and pulled him towards the pond. He couldn't do anything but follow and laugh as she began running towards the pond.

When they reached the pond Aera and Ardyn looked into the water and smiled as they saw their reflection. Ardyn then wrapped one arm, carefully over Aera's shoulders and pulled her closer to him. He then kissed the top of her head and smiled as he saw how happy she was.

"I'd do anything for you." Ardyn confused as he continued to stare at his beautiful fiancée reflection in the water.

"I know. I love you, Ardyn Lucis Caelum."

"I love you too, my darling."

~~~

(For the world we're gonna make)

"Izunia."

"Pardon?" Ardyn questioned her.

"Izunia. When we have children, I would like our first son to be called: Izunia. Do you like?"

Ardyn blinked at her for a moment and then he felt his heart melt. This was real and all of this was his. He would never take her love for granted, never.

"Of course, I do my darling. I love it as much as I love you."

"I love you too Ardyn." Aera pulled him down to her level and kissed him greedily.

No one was taking him away from her. Not in this life and not in any other.

~~~

Ardyn Izunia sat on the darken throne with a single Sylleblossom in his hand.

They were only ever blue now. He hated the colour as it reminded him of Somnus. But the flower... he couldn't let it go. It reminded him too much of her. He closed his eyes and breathed out painfully.

"I miss you my darling. I miss you so much."

He then rested his elbow on the arm of the throne and support his head with his knuckles. Not long now before the King of Light would walk through those doors.

Then, all of this would finally be over and he could see her again.

"Aera..."